A Weasel's Watch
by ConfusedGoatee
Summary: Three years after the Nighthowler and Missing Mammals Cases and a new face with a familiar last name arrives at Precinct One. Follow along as newly minted Officer Reginald C. Weaselton goes through his first year in the ZPD. First story of the Hard Knock City series.
1. A Rough Start

The digital clock on the dresser read 3:14 AM. The red light from the clock and the street lamps outside shining in thru a small window were the only lighting for the inhabitant of the small apartment. The apartment, an old ragged studio that has seen better decades, was cramped by a medium sized animal bed with the head pressed against a drab wall. The three drawer dresser holding the clock stood across from the bed, with only a space large enough to open the drawers between them. A front door being the only means of exiting or entering the apartment was positioned directly across from the window. The light from the outside illuminating the wooden door, with the brass handle and assortment of locks being shown in the darkness. An open doorway to the left of the door led to a bathroom with just enough room for a toilet and small standing shower. A small kitchen area directly to the right of the door had only a stove, fridge and small counter space. The only signs that it was a kitchen being faded tiling in the area breaking up the stained carpet that ran through the apartment.

None of this was considered by the active owner of the apartment. Instead his focus was on the burning sensation of his arms as he continued his workout. Hanging from a sturdy water pipe that perforated the apartment, he continued to pull himself up and down. Losing focus of whatever the original number he was supposed to stop at, he continued until his arms couldn't take it anymore. Glancing at the clock he saw that it now read 3:27 AM. A recurring nightmare had awoken him roughly a half hour ago, and not wanting to return to it, he decided an early workout would be the best course. Finally letting himself drop from the pipe, breathe heaving from the exertion of the workout, he glanced out the window.

It was still pitch black in Sahara Square. With street lamps periodically dotting the street on either side, he could see the worn out buildings across from his own apartment. None of the inhabitants of the other buildings were up and about, and the only people on the street at this time were trying not to be seen. He sighed as he looked back towards the dresser and the clock, now proudly reading 3:31 AM. His gaze slid to a uniform hanging from a nail above the dresser. A striking dark blue uniform pressed and finely cleaned with a steel badge attached to the left breast pocket. It was the uniform of the ZPD, all ready for the day to begin.

Three years, that is how long Reggie had waited to be accepted into the Academy. Applying as soon as the Mammal Inclusion Initiative was instated, yet he was denied for two long years. First were questions of whether or not a weasel could even finish the training. With a rabbit being let in that same year, the committee that oversaw applications decided it only wanted so many drop outs in one year. The next year, once a certain rabbit and fox proved themselves very much worthy of being officers of the law after the Missing Mammals then Nighthowler cases, Reggie was sure that he had a real chance. Even the fox had been accepted, and Regg was well aware of his background.

Instead the committee decided to point to his Juvenile record and that he was a person of interest in an old murder case. The Juvy record was easy to argue against, it was simply an underage drinking from his early high school days that he did the community service for. The murder case was a bit more difficult. It had taken Reggie standing before the committee and reminding them (in a very loud tone) that both the detectives on that case had been removed from the ZPD and the only reason he was a person of interest was because he was a witness to the crime. Eventually the Chief of Police was contacted about the matter, and finally it was settled.

That was eleven months ago, and six months ago he started training at the ZPD academy. In comparison to the struggle of being accepted, the academy had been a breeze. The reading and tests he knew from his time studying before his first application. The obstacle courses he had seen after talking to the committee directly, and trained as best as he could in each of the districts. The Rainforest and Sahara course was a walk in the park, and the Ice Wall was only a challenge until the second month. By the second week of training he had become tired of Major Friedkin's "dead" nicknames. "Fuzzy Snake", "Creepy Crawler", "Pipe Cleaner", and the list went on. Eventually after his "deaths" stopped occurring, then Reggie received his first positive comment from the tough Polar Bear instructor.

While Reggie eventually overcame the obstacles at the academy, his fellow trainee's were a completely different story. Reggie is sure that not only did he not make any friends there, but he cannot recall a positive interaction with any of them. He knew they were not intimidated by his physical appearance. Slightly taller than a least weasel, his light brown colored fur and off white front were nothing threatening, in fact Reggie remembers receiving complements before the academy for his long half black and half brown tail. His small claws and teeth were not even note worthy compared to the massive mammals that surrounded him on a regular basis. Even his black, beady eyes were not the reason for lack of companionship. No the reason was a plain as day. He was a weasel and could not be trusted. No matter how well he scored or outpaced them on the obstacles, they would never accept him because of what he was. Who he was.

These thoughts kept Regg from moving on to his next exercise. He couldn't help but stare at his uniform and wonder if everything would become different. Zootopia was not the friendliest place for what some people considered the "dredges of society." Weasels, foxes, raccoons, hyenas, jackals, the list could go on and on. It seemed to Reggie that unless you were large, or part of a pack or herd, you were quickly pushed aside. Society decided what you were before you could prove yourself, stereotypes chose your fate.

Reggie sighed. The clock mocked him once more by showing it was 3:34 AM. He returned to his workout, trying to keep anymore unpleasant thoughts from creeping in. Sleep wasn't going to come anytime soon.

* * *

The ZPD Precinct One building was an imposing structure. It meant to intimidate those who had either broken or considered breaking the law, while also reassuring those in Savannah Central of the police's power as well as residents' protection. Therefore the shock of seeing a jovial, plump cheetah sitting behind the front desk eating donuts and cheerfully talking to cops and criminals alike was enough to put anyone at ease. As Reggie walked through the doors for the first time after graduating from the academy, now an officer of Precinct One, he couldn't help but wonder if it was wise to have such a figure at the front desk.

The front desk seemed a mess with crumbs; a snow globe sat right next to a box of donuts, daring the cheetah to accidently knock it off its perilous position. A box of some brand of cereal and bowl perched on the other side of the desk. Behind it a small wall that held an overlarge shield of the ZPD on a plaque. The cheetah was having an animated discussion with the two figures before the desk. One was a grey rabbit garbed in a police uniform that seemed to be just as animated as the cheetah, waving its arms around excitedly. The other a red fox wearing a uniform as well, though quite disheveled in appearance. Aviator sunglasses firmly on, leaning against the desk his left shoulder as a cup was in his right. The fox's tail slowly swaying back and forth in mesmerizing fashion. Even with the sunglasses, there was no question that his gaze was on the rabbit watching with a smirk the excited creature. As Reggie approached he started to pick up pieces of what was being said between the two officers.

"…it's the best since 'Try Everything' and deserves to be-"

"How can it be better than 'Try Everything'! It's an amazing song, not that I'm not saying that this isn't goo-"

" **I** didn't say that it was better than the 'Angel with Horns' perfect song! I just said that it's **AS GOOD AS** her best song, making them tied for best!"

The conversation made no sense to Regg, usually when two mammals are in this heated of a discussion, he passes by real quick and keeps his head down. Sadly he needed directions on his first day, and the cheetah would have the answers. Once he was only a few feet away from the officers, he saw that the snow globe actually encased a small gazelle holding a microphone in its hooves.

 _"_ _Ah"_ mused Reggie, " _mystery solved."_

While Reggie's personal opinion of the "Pop Sensation" Gazelle was definitely not a positive one, he thought it **extremely** unwise to state this in front of two obviously horn crazy fans.

The cheetah glanced to see Reggie approaching the officers. An ear splitting squeal of excitement then left the still excited feline.

"EEEEEEeeeeeeee" exclaimed the large feline "O.M GOODNESS! Aren't you the cutest thing to walk in here since my favorite couple joined!"

The squeal alone was enough to make Reggie stop in his tracks and wince, but the comment made him cringe.

 _"_ _Don't think I have ever been called 'cute' before,"_ thought Reggie. Whatever confidence he may have been building up since walking through the doors was completely dismantled after the cheetah's burst of excitement.

"Clawhauser you know how I feel about calling animals cute," stated the rabbit officer starting to turn around "also don't call us a couple, me and Ni-"

The rabbit stopped speaking once her eyes focused on Reggie. Amethyst eyes staring right at him. The frown that was on her face replaced by a quick friendly smile, large ears pointed in his direction catching any sound he made.

"Oh, hello!" started the doe "Officer Judy Hopps at your service. I see you must be the new recruit!"

His heart started to beat faster, blood boiling, temper rising.

 _"_ _This is why I wasn't let in!"_ Reggie fumed.

Reggie had seen her picture before. On newspaper, television, magazine covers, even on the flyers at the ZPA. He felt it was always life mocking him, reminding him that his plans were put on hold because of this rabbit that was everywhere. Now though, standing in front of the same doe, _Officer Judy Hopps_ , he expected so much more and was found wanting. He quickly put up a strained smile and extended his paw to Hopps.

"A pleasure to meet you ma'am, I've read and heard so much about you," Reggie said coolly.

The smile worn by Officer Hopps face slightly diminished. Whether his words or something about his body language gave away his displeasure he wasn't quite sure. What Reggie was sure of was that when she grabbed his paw for the pawshake he was not expecting it to be so firm. He did not wilt under the pressure, simply was surprised that someone of her stature could hold so much power.

 _"_ _Underestimating a small mammal are you Regg? Bad start."_

"Officer Reginald C. Weaselton. I just graduated."

A small flash of recognition passed through the bunny's eyes before another emotion came through.

 _"_ _What was that?"_ pondered Reggie. Whatever that emotion that he had just peeked at was not something he was used to seeing.

"Ah a Weselton!" stated a voice from behind Hopps. The older tod moving from the front desk to engage in the conversation moved towards the two officers. Extending his paw forward, the fox's smirk grew into a smug look. The aviators hiding what Reggie knew were half lidded, emerald green eyes. Releasing his grip from Hopps, Reggie then grabbed the outstretched paw.

"Officer Nick Wilde I presume" stated Reggie.

"You would presume correctly," responded Officer Wilde with confidence.

"Your reputation precedes you…at least on the streets," said Reggie calmly, trying to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"It's good to know that I still have cred to my name," Wilde said, his smug expression never changing.

Reggie shrugged "Most want you dead honestly, too many secrets with a cop now."

While both of them had been shaking paws during the beginning of this exchange, after that last statement both hands stopped moving. Reggie and Wilde now staring at each other, paws in a death grip. Wilde's tail slowly swaying and twitching slightly behind him, Reggie's completely straight out and not moving an inch.

"I didn't realize that Duke had a kid, I gotta say I'm impressed that he could afford to feed you with only bootlegs. Granted you're a bit skinny."

The statement was a low blow, but Reggie expected it after his last comment.

"Duke's my uncle, and before you ask Duchess is my aunt," stated Reggie. He knew who his father was would come out, but he still didn't want to say it.

Wilde's expression changed only from his smug look, to a quick frown, into his trademark smirk Reggie was familiar with.

"Welcome to Precinct One," Wilde stated coldly. While his facial features didn't show it, the tone in his voice made it clear to Regg that they would not be on good terms.

Reggie finally released Wilde's paw, the blood starting to return to his digits slowly, and turned to the cheetah. Precinct

"Officer Clawhauser I presume?" he asked to the cheetah behind the desk. Clawhauser had been so drawn into both conversations that his head was resting in his paws, eyes wide open from what Reggie could only assume was shock.

Clawhauser reacted to his name being mentioned and quickly raised his head and nodded quickly. "Uh, yeah," the cheetah stated.

Reggie felt guilty for what just happened in front of the Clawhauser. He honestly wanted to at least be on good terms with his fellow officers, just not the two standing before him.

"I was told to ask you where RollCall is for the morning meeting," Reggie said. Trying to sound cheerful, but it came out slightly high pitched. He anger was getting close to boiling over and the workday hadn't even started.

"Oh yes!" Clawhauser exclaimed, "Go down the hallway and it'll be the third door on your left."

Reggie gave a slight nod of his head and passed in between the tod and the doe. Reggie could feel the anger pulsating from both of them, but he didn't care one bit. This was his chance to try and make things right in his life and damn any mammal that stood in his way.

As he walked quickly to RollCall, he noticed the many different types of mammal officers standing about. Some ignoring him, others were glancing his way.

 _"_ _All these different mammals and I run into that pair first."_ Reggie lamented.

 _"_ _Fleas and ticks."_


	2. First Day Part One

RollCall was held in a large room with several tables parallel to one another and chairs for obviously much larger animals at those tables. At the front was a podium, a blackboard and a large map of Zootopia hung on the wall. Most of the seats were filled by the time Reggie got there. He saw a seat up front, and another one in the back left corner that had not been filled. Wanting to avoid sticking out too much on his first day, Regg decided the corner would be a fine place to be. The chair was too tall to sit into comfortably, and Reggie had to jump up and pull himself up into the seat. Now realizing he wouldn't even be able to see while sitting, he stood up and held onto the side of the table.

As he peered across towards where the podium was, Reggie realized another mistake. The much larger animals in front of him blocked his view of front. Sighing, he hauled himself onto the table in order to try and see anything that was going on.

To the right of his "seat" was an older looking polar Bear, a bit gray in the muzzle. The Polar Bear officer had his paws folded on his stomach and his eyes were closed, with soft snoring being heard from him. Reggie smelled several different odors coming off the ursine. One was definitely coffee, which seemed to be failing to do its jobs. Another was what seemed to be something with salmon in it, but it was faint enough that he couldn't be sure. The final odor which there was no question about was the smell of cheap alcohol that seemed to permeate from the Bear's fur. Those smells, along with the Bear's natural musk were almost overpowering Reggie's sensitive nose.

Weasels weren't known for many positive traits, but one of them was at least their noses. They were not as good as any canine or candid, but they got the job done. What also made them unique is that Weasel noses thanks to millennia's of evolution could make out the very unique smells that came from their past prey. So while a wolf or wild dog could smell fear coming from a vole and follow it, a weasel could smell the same fear and tell you what the vole had for breakfast that morning and that the mammal had a slight cold coming on. Considering the range of prey being anything smaller, and sometimes much larger mammals, it allowed Reggie to feel as if he had an edge.

So it was no surprise that when smell of a certain rabbit and fox duo entered the room. He couldn't get much off the smell of the fox, but if the smell of the lagomorph was any hint, then neither had completely calmed down from his discussion with them. The doe's smell was mostly of anger, a small pinch of fear, and something else that he couldn't quite pick up. _"Maybe a perfume?"_ Reggie considered. It was sharp, almost tangy, while rounded and foul. He broke his train of thought when a call came from the front of the room.

"Ten-hut!" echoed from the bellow of a large creature that Reggie could not see. As if on cue all of the other animals in the room started to pounding their paws and hooves on the table and making what Reggie could only describe as a grunting noise came from all of them. With the start of the ruckus, the Polar Bear next to Reggie finally woke up and starting pounding on the table as well, shaking Reggie as he tried to keep his balance until this minor earthquake was over.

"Ok-Shut it!" bellowed another creature in a deep tone that Reggie could only see the pointed horns of. His best guess was that it was Chief Bogo, but never being actually introduced to one another made it only a guess.

"First order of business, we have some new recruits… who cares."

There were a few snickers and chuckles at this remark, and even some heads turning to find the new face Reggie assumed.

"Next assignments…Fangmeyer, Wolford! Precinct 7 is asking for our assistance in locating a missing boar sow, meet up with the officers in charge of the case and give your assistance. You are NOT to take charge is that clear!"

A crisp "Yes sir!" came from the other side of the room, as chairs could be heard moving and two officers started to leave. Reggie spotted the two, one being a female Bengal Tiger and the other a grey wolf. Both had the looks of determination when leaving the room, but there was a glint humor in the eye of the wolf, as if he had been told a rather funny joke. The tiger wasn't trying to show it, but there was a definite look of anguish hidden behind that determination. Whatever had happened between the two the wolf was finding it most amusing.

"Wilde! Hopps! There has been another jewelry store that has been robbed, making the total three in the past month. I want you to canvas the scene and get a lead on the case."

"Finders keepers on the jewelry right Chief," said a recognizable voice.

"Can it Wilde!" the deep voice yelled. The rest of the officers chuckled once again. This seemed to be something that happened often Reggie surmised.

"The rest of you same assignments as yesterday, Dismissed!" Like that rollcall was over and Reggie was wondering what he was supposed to do next. That question was answered for him quickly.

"Grizzoli, Weaselton, up here," the voice bellowed. The Polar Bear next to Reggie stood up and headed towards the front, Reggie in quick tow. As he approached the front a massive Cape Buffalo stood behind the podium, small reading glasses over his eyes looking over some documents in his hoof. Turning towards the two, the Buffalo addressed the Polar Bear first.

"Grizzoli, since Snarlov is on vacation you will be showing Weaselton here the ropes." The Buffalo gestured from the Polar Bear down towards Reggie who was doing his best to stand as tall as possible. Even then he only came up to just above the Polar Bear's knee.

"Aw come on Chief! Don't put me on babysitting duty," complained Grizzoli, a pained expression over his face as the very idea of working with Reggie caused him physical pain.

Chief Bogo raised a hoof. "I will not hear of it. Frankly I don't care if you tear each other apart out there, just make sure to bring back the cruiser." The Cape Buffalo was quietly fuming at the Polar Bear, but both Reggie and Grizzoli could tell it wouldn't take much to push the Chief into a full blown shout. Grizzoli sighed and looked at Reggie for the first time today.

"Alright saddle up," said Grizzoli, addressing the mustela. With a quick nod Reggie then headed out of the bullpen to wait in the hallway. Grizzoli didn't move and neither did the Chief.

After exiting, and closing the door behind him, Reggie leaned against the wall and waited for Grizzoli to reappear. Even with his short ears, Reggie could hear loud and agitated voices being raised. It went on for several seconds before a definite shout of "Final!" could be heard to come from Chief Bogo. After that Grizzoli opened the door quickly and stormed out.

"Well what are you waiting for? An invitation! Come on already." Grizzoli grumbled to Reggie. Whatever had been said between the Chief and his new partner did not seem to sit well with the older ursine. Not wanting to accidently run into the Chief in a foul mood as well, Reggie quickly ran to catch up with the long strides of the larger mammal.

 _"_ _Today is going to be a long day"_

* * *

Blessedly, in Reggie's mind at least, there was no incident or delays in getting to Grizzoli's assigned cruiser. Since Grizzoli was a Polar Bear, one of the largest that Reggie had ever seen as well, his cruiser was meant for larger mammals which made closing the door like moving a boulder. Reggie then had to climb into the seat from the floor of the car, but that he could not see anything outside of the windows either. He might as well have been a kit sitting in the front seat for all the difference in size. Reggie was able to eventually buckle himself in, though with some difficulty as well.

Finally, with both occupants settled, Grizzoli started the massive cruiser and headed for the area they would be patrolling. Grizzoli used the time in explaining that they would help patrol the area in between Tundra Town and the Rainforest District. Moving between the two and backing up any units from either Precinct that called for it. Grizzoli explained to Reggie that him and his partner Snarlov had this beat for the last few years and so knew all the ins and outs, but Reggie would need some time to get the hang of it. He then talked about how much of a problem it was going from having wet fur then stepping into the cold snow, and how he had almost frozen his nose of f in a foot chase because of that. Grizzoli talked about the places to eat, a good place to park the cruiser, a good place when you needed some sleep and didn't want the other patrols to see you. Where the most trouble was in for both districts and who the usual troublemakers were. He talked and talked and talked nonstop. From when they left the Savannah Central straight thru the route they were taking for their patrol.

Reggie tried to pay attention in the beginning out of respect for Grizzoli's experience in the field. After the third hour of straight talking though, Reggie was begging for the sweet release of any crime. He would even take a murder suicide if it would Grizzoli to stop for a bit, and he was considering enacting the crime himself when he caught something in words that were coming from the arctic bear.

"-yeah Chief tore me a new one after you left for my appearance. I haven't been in the best shape since after my wife kicked me out of the house. Sorry if earlier I seemed to be giving you a hard time about working with you…"

Reggie glanced over and saw Grizzoli looking sideways at him. Reggie shook his head "Don't worry about it. I'm used to a cold introduction." Reggie then froze. He had no idea why he added in that last part. Maybe it was the fact that the officer sitting next to him seemed in much worse state than himself, maybe it was because this morning had frazzled his usual demeanor, or maybe he was subconsciously trying to make a friend. Either way he looked out towards the window and only saw the snowy sky that was Tundra Town.

Grizzoli chuckled

"I can only imagine. Not so easy being the first Weasel in the ZPD, huh Weaselton!"

Reggie frowned at this fact. It was an incorrect fact that others tried to parrot to him as well.

"Actually there have always been mustelas in the ZPD. They are just usually Otters. They aren't too proud of the fact that they are associated with the quote-un-quote sneaky variety of Mustelidae."

"Also I think badgers are part of the same family as well, granted I have no idea of that's true," added Reggie. The fact that he considered himself not the first Weasel to get into the ZPD had made the process easier for him mentally. He wasn't trailblazing for his entire species, he wasn't setting a high bar, and he was simply training to become a police officer like others before him.

"Huh" Grizzoli finally said "never thought about it like that before."

Finally a silence settled between the two officers. The streets being unusually quiet today and even traffic seemed to be moving at a reasonable pace. The only noticeable changes from the windows were the rain drops freezing on the window as they went from the Rain Forest to the Tundra. It wasn't until their fifth lap through their assigned patrol that Grizzoli finally spoke up again.

"Er…you don't happen to be related to Duke do you?" Grizzoli asked.

Reggie sighed. His uncle's run-ins with the law were well documented by both sides of it. Reggie knew most of his criminal history, and all of his arrest history, but even he had to admit there were things about his uncle that Duke kept from Reggie. Whether this was to protect his nephew that was on the other side now or to simply protect himself he was not sure.

"Yeah…he's my uncle…and if you have heard the name Duchess Weaselton she's my aunt." Reggie stated

Grizzoli nodded in understanding.

"Do you have any other family?" inquired the veteran officer.

"Yeah my younger sister. Mary. She's training to be a nurse. We're all really proud of her," Reggie said with small smile. While Regg decided that he wanted to take down those who could cause pain, Mary decided that she wanted to help those who suffered from it. He secretly thought that her choice much more selfless than his own.

 _"_ _She's always been a good mammal. If only she weren't a Weasel she would have it so much easier."_ Reggie lamented. It was a true fact, and it was a disheartening one as well. He let out a heavy sigh.

Feeling tension in the cruiser, Grizzoli quickly asked another question.

"What about your parents? They've gotta be proud of you too right?"

Reggie immediately stiffened at the mention of his parents.

"Our parents are dead," Reggie stated flatly "and that's all I'm going to say on the matter."

Instead of decreasing the tension, it racketed up so much that it could be cut with a knife. The two once again sat in silence, though unlike the last one which was somewhat comfortable, this one had both deep in their own thoughts. Once again Grizzoli tried to speak

"I uh…I'm sorr-"He started

"Don't," commanded Reggie "Don't finish that sentence. Don't think about it anymore. Don't even breathe this conversation to anyone."

His blood was starting to boil over; Reggie was trying his best not to lash out at the older officer. With a very heavy sigh and rubbing the side of his muzzle Reggie spoke again.

"You didn't know them, so there is no reason to be sorry," he stated quietly.

Grizzoli grunted in understanding and then gripped the steering wheel hard. Reggie glanced at the digital clock in the center column. It read 1:12PM in a soft green. "Where's one of those good places to eat around here that you were talking about earlier," Reggie asked. Grizzoli gave a toothy grin

"Guess it is lunch time. There is a place maybe five more minutes driving that has some of the best food on the border. Mostly a large pred place, so you should be filled from this meal for days!" Grizzoli said the last line through a chuckle until it eventually turned into a deep laugh.


	3. First Day Part Two

The cruiser eventually stopped at a rundown looking dive bar named " _Frozen Flower._ " Considering that it was just inside the Tundra dome, but was in quick walking distance of one of the tunnels connecting to the Rainforest, the named seemed appropriate enough. Grizzoli had not lied either, the establishment was meant for much larger mammals, with the doors being an intimidating heavy oak set that looked like you had to be over five feet tall to even open. Reggie was nowhere near that requirement. Once inside, Reggie could see several old wooden tables and booths throughout the establishment. Since it was the middle of the day there was plenty of space for the two of them. With only two sharp dressed Polar Bears and a down on his luck looking Snow Leopard being the only occupants, the two officers went to the bar. At the sight of the two officers, more than likely Grizzoli considered Reggie, the other Polar Bear got up and left. Grizzoli gave them a slight glance when they exited, but then simply continued his way to a stool.

It was no effort for Grizzoli to sit down, but Reggie had to slink his body up the metal rungs in order to get to the seat. From behind a set of wooden swinging doors behind the bar a white wolf walked out, rag over shoulder wearing only a black t-shirt and a pair of worn blue jeans.

"Didn't you get enough last night?" the wolf said to Grizzoli.

Grizzoli grinned "Had so much fun thought I'd do it again."

The white wolf chuckled and shook his head, then noticed Reggie standing on the stool next to him.

"You vouching for him?" the white wolf suddenly asked Grizzoli. Grizzoli stiffened up.

"He's a cop." Grizzoli answered defensively. Reggie paid no mind to what the white wolf was saying. He had heard the same thing a thousand times before and would probably hear it a thousand more times before this month was over. The white wolf shrugged then got out a notepad and pen.

"So what'll it be for the boys in blue today?" said the White Wolf, giving a smile that looked well practiced.

"I'll have a scotch on the rocks and a salmon burger, hold the sauce. I hate that stuff," Grizzoli said without hesitation. The white wolf nodded as he wrote down the order. Then the wolf looked over the Reggie. "I don't know what we got that's closer to your size."

"Give him that appetizer plate with the fried bugs. What you call it?" Grizzoli filled in "oh and a water for him. He's a rook, don't need his first day hitting the sauce!" Grizzoli laughed at his own joke and the white wolf shook his head, smile still in place, while writing down the order and heading back thru the double doors.

"So I'm assuming this is a regular hangout for you?" asked Reggie. He wasn't truly interested, but either was either small talk or listening to the snoring of the now noticeably passed out snow leopard a few stools down.

"Uh… you could say that," started Grizzoli "when stuff between me and the misses started getting heated I would come here, have a few drinks, then head home."

"Mmm," Reggie responded. He wondered how many nights that had happened and how many drinks are a few. Bringing that up would only open up an entirely new can of worms that he wanted no part in.

"So tell me about your partner, Snarlov?" Reggie asked, it was the first topic to come to mind.

Grizzoli grinned, "Snarlov and I have been partners for so long now. We know each other better than our own mates! Why I can tell you a few stories about me and Snarlov. See a couple years ago…"

So Grizzoli seemingly told Reggie about every single collar and encounter him and Snarlov have had over their twelve year partnership. Reggie only paid half attention, noting that it seems that Snarlov was a Brown Bear who was apparently only getting grouchier as the years went on. He also learned some more facts about Grizzoli, or at least he heard them consciously for the first time today. Grizzoli had a mate and two cubs. A boy named Anthony and a daughter Alexis. They were obviously going through something between the older officer and his mate, but both Reggie and Grizzoli steered away from that topic. Eventually their food came, and to Grizzoli's personal surprise Reggie devoured the entire serving of fried crickets. The salmon burger that Grizzoli ordered smelled good to Reggie. After taking several bites into the burger, and cursing the fact that the cook forgot to take the sauce off, Grizzoli explained his love for fish.

"Can't stand bugs honestly. Never grew up with them, so could never eat them as an adult." Grizzoli stated "so whenever I can find a place that does fish at a reasonable price, I make sure to come back to it." He finished his statement with a toothy grin, revealing some scales stuck in between his teeth.

After finishing their meals, and Grizzoli downing the scotch and a glass of water in quick succession, both officers headed back to the car to once again continue their patrol.

* * *

The rest of the day flew by with ease. They finally got to do more than drive when I driver started speeding in a school zone. It was an easy job of pulling over, making sure there were no outstanding warrants for the moose in question, then giving him a ticket and sending him on his way. Eventually it was time to clock out. It was a long and boring first day for Reggie, but for Grizzoli a nice break from the usual hustle of the patrol route.

"Don't get to comfortable" chuckled Grizzoli, "there's a reason why Bogo has two bears that patrol here."

Reggie nodded quietly in agreement, though personally he was not worried at all. The ZPA training course was rough, and helped him to better defend himself. His time in Zootopia had also helped prepare him for a fight. It wasn't uncommon for either him or his uncle to come home bruised and battered. This is more than likely what inspired Mary he surmised. Still unlike his uncle whose beatings usually were the result of competition, failed scams or debt collectors, Reggie's were from those who just plain didn't like him.

Grizzoli seeming to sense what the Weasel was thinking spoke up again.

"Now I know the Academy teaches you all the text book ways to take down larger mammals. The fact that you are here tells me you knocked out a Rhino. That should be impressive, except everyone at Precinct One had to knock one out. That's simply a basic requirement anymore."

Now the Polar Bear was looking directly at Reggie, almost sizing the thin mammal sitting next to him up.

"One swipe of a Tiger's paw and BAM!" Grizzoli said while smacking his large paw against the steering wheel, "another dead cop and another family in tears."

He said that last part quietly. Barely heard by Reggie, it was almost as if the Polar Bear said this to remind himself. There was silence after this statement. Grizzoli's comment made Reggie realize he didn't even know the first name of the large mammal sitting next to him. The awkward exit to the motor pool, as well as Grizzoli's willingness to fill the morning in idle chatter had left no room for proper introductions.

Reggie glanced over at the Polar Bear.

"I just realized that I don't know your first name."

Grizzoli gave a broad smile to the mustela's comment.

"Yeah on the job everyone usually goes by last names. 'Clawhauser', 'Wolford' 'Bogo' 'Trunkaby', the list goes on. Generally only partners are on a first name basis with each other."

"I take it that I will not be finding out your first name today then." Reggie stated matter-of-fact. It made sense that you would need to trust your partner to reveal information about yourself, but why was a first name so important?

With a hearty laugh Grizzoli responded "Sorry Weaselton. Ride with me for three years and **MAYBE** I'd tell you my first name!"

Reggie couldn't help by chuckle at this. "Well if that's the case then I guess I shouldn't tell you mine then."

"Oh I already know it," Grizzoli stated slyly, "and I gotta say, between Duke and Duchess I was expecting more than a simple Reginald, thought you would be at least a Count or even a Baron."

This brought both of the officers to fits of laughter. Even Regg knew it was ridiculous for his aunt and uncle to be called that, but it was a family tradition for some reason and no one wanted to break it.

"Each generation of Weaselton has a Duke or Duchess...well except mine," Reggie said with a furrowed brow. When he was younger he would always wonder why he wasn't named after his uncle, but when things turned bad at home those thoughts made room for more…important matters.

Grizzoli simply nodded his head and continued to drive.

Eventually the end of their shift arrived. A very slow, boring, bland day that Reggie personally hoped would not be repeated again tomorrow.

Pulling back into the motor pool, both officers exited the cruiser in time to see another one pull in. As the Polar Bear and Weasel started making their way to the main offices, a car door could be heard opening that quickly slamming followed by a threatening growl.

"Well that was a complete waste of a day!"growled a female voice.

"How so? We got to enjoy the scenery, get the cruiser cleaned, and you got a mud facial today!" came a jovial male voice oozing with smugness.

A loud roar echoed throughout the building.

"I swear if I can prove that you **PUSHED ME** into the mud I'm gonna shave your tail!" came the female voice once more.

This was followed by almost howling laughter.

"Fang, I was in front of you! By like five feet! How could I have pushed you?" the male voice responded through his laughter.

Both Grizzoli and Reggie had stopped now to see the two officers having the conversation.

Coming into view past the cars were two very wet mammals, one the grey wolf from earlier in the day whose tail was wagging vigorously behind him. The other was the female Bengal tiger who also had noticeable spots of mud throughout her uniform.

As they came into view Grizzoli called out to the two soaked mammals.

"Fang! Wolford! How'd the missing sow go?" he called out.

Wolford's grin grew ear to ear at the mention of their case.

"Does she count as missing if she's with her boyfriend?" the wolf called back, "oh and her husband was the one who filed the missing mammals report!"

While he couldn't make out the words, Reggie could hear Fangmeyer mumbling after that last statement.

"Sounds like you had a fun day!" Grizzoli said through a smile, the two drenched officers now standing in front of the two dry ones.

"Make matters worse, Miss Kitty doesn't like to get wet," Wolford stated, pointing a claw to the disgruntled tiger.

"Wolford! How many times have I told you not to call me that?!" Fangmeyer hissed. Wolford looked at his now fuming partner.

"I'm sorry." Wolford looked the part of the apology, but Reggie could see a mischievous glint in the wolf's eye. Fangmeyer sighed.

"You would think all these meet-ups with Wilde would teach you how to use that mouth of yours."

Wolford opened his muzzle to reply but quickly closed it. A blush ran thru his ears before the lupine folded them down.

"It's fine. Come on, let's clock out and get out of these miserable uniforms. You can buy me a round at the bar." The tiger said. Wolford's expression quickly perked back up.

"Done and done." The wolf exclaimed, with both officers waving past Grizzoli and Reggie.

Grizzoli shaking his head and chuckling at the antics of the canine and feline.

"Those two make one hell of a team, but how they deal with each other every day I'll never know."

The two officers then left to clock out themselves. Grizzoli waving off Reggie when he headed out while the Polar Bear headed to the locker room to get changed. Passing the front desk, Reggie noticed Clawhauser was still there typing away about something. Instead of addressing the Weasel as he passed, Clawhauser simply glanced his way then went back to his work. Seeing as how bubbly he was on his arrival this morning, Reggie had a feeling he was the cheetah's bad list.

With a sigh Reggie exited the building.

 _"_ _Looks like you made three enemies today Regg."_

 _"_ _Rutt."_


	4. Second Day Part One

Just like the night before, Reggie did not find himself asleep for long. Unlike the night before the nightmares had come earlier, leaving him with too little sleep and not wanting to completely wear himself out from his workout Reggie decided that picking up a caffeinated beverage. While not a fan of the coffee, preferring to push through the day normally, the lack of sleep from the past two nights would catch up with him.

Reggie found himself standing outside of a Snarlbucks. His phone reading the time at 6:02 AM, and glancing inside Reggie could only one mammal behind the counter. Dressed in a pair of navy blue sweats and a black hoodie, his uniform folded in an old backpack that was across one of his shoulders, Reggie realized a misunderstanding that could happen from his clothing. If he was a betting Weasel, he would put it all on the mammal behind the counter trying to call 911. If Reggie were to be honest, he would consider making the call as well with how shady he felt in his baggie outfit.

 _"_ _Should have worn something a bit tighter, maybe it would have made me look less sneaky."_ He contemplated. With a sigh, and shifting on his hind paws, Reggie finally reached for the handle of the door and pulled it open.

He first noticed the music that was playing softly. It was comforting and slow, with what seemed to be only a guitar playing. The atmosphere was also relaxing. Dim lights mixing with the rising sun shining thru the large front windows gave a pleasant glow to the entire store. The smells of coffee, tea leaves and pastries of different varieties assaulted Reggie's nose. Under all of those was a small hint of disinfectant cleaner.

The mammal behind the counter had not noticed Reggie approaching the front, humming some unknown tune while it was using a rag to wipe down the area. The mammal employee seemed to be a raccoon. With grey fur and a black and grey striped tail dragging behind. Wearing what seemed to be a simple pair of black pants and plain black long sleeved shirt, with a beige apron string around with waist and neck, the raccoon seemed to be female. Growing impatient, Reggie cleared his throat to gain the employee's attention.

The employee stiffened, and then quickly turned to face Reggie. Big, dark brown eyes met black, beady eyes. The trademark black "Bandit's Mask" allowing for the brown to stand out even more. Small rounded ears perked towards him, and a broad smile spread across the raccoon's muzzle. Reggie in turned stiffened.

 _"_ _Yep, definitely female."_ Reggie mused.

"Hello, welcome to Snarlbucks!" Said the female raccoon, tossing the rag behind her and wiping her small paws on her apron, "how can I help you today!"

"Er…" Reggie started slightly from the raccoon's enthusiasm this early in the morning. The raccoon's expression quickly turned to one of pity as she got a better look at Reggie.

"Oh sweetie it's alright," the raccoon said with a sympathetic smile, "trust me I know how tough it is out there."

"Why don't I give you something nice and warm to drink and maybe an extra pastry and then you can go sleep a bit in the corner. How's that sound?"Reggie was confused by her statement at first, and then became slightly aggravated as she continued.

"Wait no I'm not homeless-"Reggie said, trying to interject.

"Of course not dear, you're just in between jobs. I truly understand." The raccoon folding her paws over her heart.

"No, no, no, no! I actually have a job, and an apartment. I just came in to buy a coffee!" Reggie exclaimed, pulling his wallet out of his pants pocket and opening it as if to prove the point.

The inside of the raccoon's ears turned slightly pink, embarrassed by the turn of events. "I'm so sorry sir! I didn't mean- I mean I shouldn't have assumed…." The raccoon trying her best to recover from her mistake, but Reggie simply waved her off.

"It's fine…well not really, but it's not the worst that I have heard so I'm not going to take offense to it," said Reggie calmly.

"Besides, you were willing to help. Not many mammals can say that." Reggie added with a shrug. It was true that not every mammal went out of their way to help out a Weasel down on their luck. Seeing this raccoon willing to help, even in a small way, gave Reggie a positive feeling.

"I must admit I do need some help though."

The raccoon perked up at his statement, a smile once again returning to her muzzle. "You see…I don't drink coffee normally," began Reggie now moving to lean against the counter, "so I have no idea what to get."

The raccoon smiled became even brighter. "Well sir you came to the right mammal!"

With the flair that only comes with years of customer service experience, the raccoon went through all the drinks, their pro's and con's, did Reggie want something sweet, something hot or cold, did he mind if the drink was bitter? Many more questions than Reggie expected for a simple cup of coffee. After several minutes of the questions being asked, Reggie eventually decided on what the raccoon called a medium "Dirty Chai" with another shot of espresso and a pack of sugar. "And your name sir?" asked the raccoon innocently.

Reggie looked around the store and noted that no other mammal had come in yet. "Why do you need that?"

The raccoon shrugged, "Management says that it's for all orders, no matter what."

Reggie's eyes narrowed at what felt like a blatant lie, but decided to do as asked. "You can put down Reggie."

The raccoon quickly produced a marker from a pocket in her apron and wrote on the cup before heading over to make the drink. Reggie could hear the whirling of machinery and a blast of compressed air. He simply stood next to the counter awkwardly, waiting for his drink and remembering that he hadn't paid yet. Swiftly the raccoon returned with the drink in paw, a smile once again on her muzzle. "Here you go sir! Anything else I can get you?"

"Uh, no. Just need to pay and I'll be out of your fur," Reggie said with a smile.

The raccoon waved off Reggie with a smile of her own, "After earlier, I think its fair you get one on the house today!"

Reggie nodded his head before heading to the door. Taking a quick sip of the hot beverage before exiting, Reggie couldn't help but be impressed with how good the drink actually tasted.

"Wow this is fantastic," Reggie murmured, glimpsing at the cup real quickly he saw something written next to his name. The extra writing read _To Reggie from Sheri_ with a drawn small smiley face with small ears.

 _"_ _Sheri huh…"_ Reggie thought with a smirk.

Glancing quickly back he saw Sheri once again wiping down behind the counter.

 _"_ _Maybe today won't be too bad."_

* * *

Today was going to be worse. As Reggie opened the front door, he could hear the murmur of conversations and the moving of mammals going about their day. Once he stepped thru the large doors, a deafening silence fell over the building. Several mammals glanced at Reggie before continuing to their destination, others openly stared. Those who stared wore the gambit of expressions between curious to distain. Not willing to stay around too long under the many different eyes on him, Reggie quickly headed in the direction of what he believed was the locker room.

After some difficulty in finding it, Reggie finally entered the locker room and found it thankfully sparse of officers. With only one or two mammals around, and the sound of a few showers, Reggie assumed that this was the night shift coming off. Quickly pacing through the room, he found a set of medium sized lockers and one of them had his name on it. As he reached out to open the locker, he caught a small whiff of rabbit, specifically one Officer Judy Hopps. Confused by the smell, but sensing danger, Reggie stood next to his locker and opened it very slowly.

Once the latch of the locker was tugged, the door suddenly flew open hitting Reggie in the muzzle as a large cloud of white dust shot out. Slightly dazed from the impact, Reggie noticed how the rest of the area was in a fine mist of what he could only assume was kit powder. A howl of laughter came from the other side of the locker room as a grey wolf stepped around the corner dressed except for his shirt still unbuttoned. When Wolford gazed at the Weasel, a slight look of disappointment played over his face.

"Ah guess you figured it out," stated Wolford, the disappointment was obvious in his voice. Seeing Reggie continue to rub the front of his muzzle and nose, the grey wolf's disappointment changed to amusement.

"Couldn't avoid it all I see," he stated, smug grin showing off large canine fangs. Reggie simply shook his head.

 _"_ _You really are a fool if you didn't expect Wilde to retaliate after what you said."_ Reggie looked at the grey wolf now. "I'm assuming word of yesterday morning has gotten around."

Wolford gave a chuckle, "Let me give you a piece of advice for next time Weaselton. If you're going to get into a personal spat with two of the most liked cops in the Precinct, don't do it in front of **THE** most liked officer in the Precinct who happens to feed off of rumors like donuts."

 _"_ _Clawhauser…"_

"Thanks for the advice" Reggie stated dryly, wanting only to focus on getting changed.

"Let me give you another piece of advice Weasel," Wolford said coldly, walking towards Reggie.

"Everyone likes Hopps, she's a good officer. Most mammals tolerate Wilde because he's a good officer and Hopps likes him too. I personally like Wilde. He's quick with a joke, hasn't stuck me with a bill yet and has even bought me a round or two. I consider him a friend."

Wolford towered over Reggie, and was using every inch of height to his advantage. Staring him unblinkingly with amber eyes, a low growl was now emitting from the grey wolf as he spoke.

"If either one of them gets injured because you didn't act fast enough because of your speciest views. I can promise you that this," the wolf's paw motioning to the mess of powder all over the locker room, "will be the least of your concern. Got that!"

Reggie hid behind a blasé look. Trying to act unimpressed by the intimidating wolf's words, he picked at his claws and examined them. Once Wolford was done with his speech, Reggie looked up and stared directly into the wolf's eyes.

"There are so many things wrong with your assumptions about me that I don't have enough time to actually correct them all," Reggie started, his anger starting to bubble, "the only words I have for is this."

" .Badge."

Reggie said each word poking a claw into the wolf's chest, "I haven't forgotten it, and I hope you haven't either."

The two officers stood there staring each other down, neither one willing to break first. Eventually Reggie remembered he was not in uniform and looked away to get ready. He heard a scoff from the grey wolf before the sounds of pawsteps away and out of the locker room.

Reggie let out a heavy sigh and started to take stock on how much messed up.

It was a considerable amount.

 _"_ _Rutt!"_


	5. Second Day Part Two

RollCall was even worse. Having to be surrounded by the officers whose opinion of Reggie was so far down he may need to hire moles to find it, started to make him feel nervous. He was never one to be nervous normally. Anger, definitely. Saddened, sometimes though he never showed it. Nervous or afraid? Not in a long time. Now as he stood in the back left table again near his "seat", Reggie had to wonder how he was going to survive. He never planned on staying in Precinct One, always knowing that eventually he would transfer over to the Rainforest District and use his past to his advantage there.

There wouldn't be any immediate openings this close to graduation, and someone actually accepted to transfer from Rainforest to Savannah Central would be rare. No Reggie always assumed he would stay a year or two at Precinct One then transfer. Now he had to wonder if he would be able to survive the month before his fellow officers fed him to the sharks. Even Grizzoli, in his same seat from yesterday, wouldn't acknowledge Reggie. This hurt more than he expected it too. Reggie just hoped that he would be assigned somewhere on his own in order to avoid his co-workers today. Fate would not have it.

"Well, well, well. I see that the rumors are true and that you avoided that nasty prank set in your locker," a voice said behind Reggie. He didn't need to look to know who it was.

Reggie turned around to see a smug fox standing behind him. Officer Wilde's trademark half-lidded smirk on full display, Reggie was reminded of a feline that just recently ate a bird.

"Yes it's quite lucky. You see I was about to open up my locker, when I could smell someone's rancid smell coming off of it. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" Reggie put a smirk of his own on display, not willing to give any ground to the fox in front of him.

"Hmm," Wilde pondered mockingly "…the only thing I smell is a bad deal. Oh! Your uncle would know about that! Maybe get him on the case." The last part was said in a snarl by the tod.

Now it was Reggie's turn to ponder, "No. Nope. I think the only one who's an expert in bad deals is you."

"Listen here Weselton-"started Wilde

"Weaselton." interjected Reggie.

"Q-Tip." responded Wilde, his emerald eyes staring down the Weasel standing on the table. The vulpine's mask slipping slightly, revealing a sliver of anger.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret," Wilde said calmly, motioning for Reggie to come closer. Rolling his eyes, Reggie jumped down from the table to the chair and leaned over expectantly. Whatever Reggie expected the former Con Artist to say never materialized.

"Don't. Hurt. Hopps." The red fox said wickedly, with the seriousness of the statement being reflected in his eyes. Reggie scoffed at what the tod had said and was about to retort with a tripping over large feet line, when suddenly he smelt something.

Coming off of Wilde was the unmistakable smell of Hopps. The smell itself reeked of anger, anguish, and fear, but as if all of them were combined somehow. He found his nose responding to the smell and twitching uncontrollably. Wilde taking this as Reggie finally understanding the situation chuckled and once again slipped on his trademark look before walking away.

"Lovely talking with you Q-Tip, hope we don't make a habit of it!" The fox said flippantly, waving over his shoulder as he headed to the front of the room. The rest of the room itself had been dead quiet. Each set of ears possible of hearing the exchange trained on the two, with officers trying not to make it obvious that they were listening. Grizzoli had openly stared at the interaction between the two smaller officers, giving a huff at Wilde's final statement.

Reggie was still lost in thought. He could feel that he was missing an important piece of the puzzle that was Wilde and Hopps, yet he wasn't sure what. Since foxes were not natural prey of Weasels, Reggie could only get the basic information from the tod, yet all the underlying smells from the doe were perplexing.

 _"_ _What the rutt is going on."_

He didn't have time to consider everything, when a shout from the front of the room announced the Chief and the usual ruckus from the officers started. He barely even noticed his name being called, only to find out that he was once again with Grizzoli.

Reggie cursed himself for losing his cool as he did yesterday wishing for this day, no, this week! To be over with as soon as possible.

"Come on Q-Tip," grumbled Grizzoli. It seemed that Reggie had a new nickname that he figured would stick with him either until his untimely demise or transfer. He wasn't sure which he wanted first.

 _"_ _Fleas and Ticks."_

* * *

With the assignment being the same as the day before, Grizzoli and Reggie once again found themselves in the silence of the large cruiser. Instead of yesterday where the silence would be either comfortable or awkward, this one was heavy. Even Grizzoli's seeming need to fill ride with chatter was not to be had. No Reggie had messed up big time and the old veteran was going to make sure the weasel understood that. Eventually the old ursine gave a heavy sigh and glanced over at the mustela.

"You screwed up."

Reggie didn't respond. He knew this conversation was coming and didn't want to once again stare down **Another** ZPD veteran.

"I don't care what problem you have with Wilde or Hopps. Frankly I'm confused how you even have a problem since this is day two. All I know is that they are both good cops, and that's all that matters." Grizzoli said this in an even tone, glancing over at the rookie cop and trying to read anything off of the young mammal. What he was met with was Reggie staring blankly in front of him.

"Hey!" the ursine yelled, slamming his large paw against the steering wheel. The Weasel jumped from this unexpected noise and looked at the Polar Bear. Ice blue eyes meeting black, beady eyes.

"Protect. The. Badge." Grizzoli emphasized each word, his tone rising with each one. Reggie silently nodded his head, and then turned away. The Weasel cursed himself internally again.

 _"_ _Everyone seems to think I'm either a speciest or out to kill Hopps and Wilde. Can't I just hate them?"_

Reggie sighed at his own question. Was his anger really worth all of this suffering? He was starting to realize that no, it was not. For three long years he held Hopps accountable for him not being allowed in the ZPA. Was it really fair to blame her for some other mammals' decisions? His hatred for Wilde would not be so simple to put away. Reggie gazed through the side door window, watching the different fauna of the Rainforest District pass by as remembered where he first heard the words both he and Grizzoli have said today. Protect. The. Badge.

* * *

 _Reggie just finished his fourth run on breach procedure with hostages using paintball ammunition. While his teammates may have only been it three or four times apiece, Reggie's gear was completely covered in the red paint spray. Final mental count for him put him at hit thirteen times all around. While paintballs did not hurt as much as live ammunition, or even tranq darts, his body had taken some serious punishment. Out of his team of six, he was the smallest. A Hippo, a bull named Leroy Brown, a Lion with the last name Manes, two Wolves, one grey with black paws and ears and the other in a softer earthy brown nicknamed Howl One and Howl Two, and finally a female Lynx with the last name Faircutter._

 _The task for the today was for each team to pass breach procedure with no team or hostage casualties. While other teams passed on their second or third try, Reggie's teamed seemed doomed for failure. The problem wasn't lack of knowledge by any of them; it was in the rest of the team's lack of faith in the Weasel. Finally seeming to have enough of the lack of success, Major Friedkin marched over to the group._

 _"_ _What's the malfunction cadet? I thought after five months of my tender care you would be tearing doors down, not slamming into them."Her statement was met by a wall of silence from the cadets. She turned on Manes first._

 _"_ _Well Dandelion!? I'm waiting? Are you telling me a kitty like yourself can't handle being a cop?"_

 _Manes straightened up "No Sir!"_

 _"_ _Then why does Weaselton look like a poor mammal's piñata, while you look as pretty as a flower?"_

 _"_ _Sir, Cadet Weaselton doesn't follow the team Sir!"_

 _Reggie tried his best not to roll his eyes in front of the Major. Reggie had followed the team as their sixth each time, and it seemed like each time one of the hostiles wound up on his flank, or above him or even in front of him in one case. The other team made up of Cadets unleashing as much of their ammunition as they could on the mustela. Twice he was able to dodge away to continue the simulation, which seemed to only anger the rest of the cadets more._

 _"_ _Really?" started the Major mockingly "was this before or after his team hung him out to dry? I would love to hear any of your explanations for that! And don't try to hide it! We got cameras_ _ **EVERYWERE**_ _!" She glared at all of the cadets, meeting their eyes with each passing of her gaze._

 _"_ _He's too damn small!" finally Faircutter shouted. Reggie found this slightly comical, considering if he wasn't on this team she would have been the smallest. Major Friedkin's glare now fell completely on the Lynx. The Lynx shrinking under the gaze of the ursine as the Major walked slowly up to the cadet._

 _"_ _Protect. The. Badge." She said icily, poking a large claw into the chest of Faircutter._

 _"_ _I've had a fluffy bunny and foxy loxy go through this course on two separate teams and no one forgot that fact!" The Major's voice rising as she spun on all of the cadets. "I get a Pipe Cleaner, and_ _ **ALL OF**_ _ **A SUDDEN**_ _my_ _ **CADETS**_ _forget!"_

 _After what felt seemed like ages of silence, the Major spoke up again._

 _"_ _Weaselton!" the ursine yelled, turning towards the mustela._

 _"_ _Yes Sir!" Reggie said crisply._

 _"_ _Your team leader for this run. Don't let me down." The last part of this statement was said in a low growl. Major Friedkin then stormed off, heading back to where she was observing._

 _Reggie looked at the other cadets around him, all with different looks of distain on their faces. Reggie sighed. "All right listen up! You can either listen to me for five minutes, then never again after this, or we can run this twenty five more times and hope we get lucky!"_

 _Now looking up at all of the different mammals around him, Manes scoffed and looked away, Faircutter grumbled something under breath. The wolves stood silently, waiting for someone to give orders, both looking as if the Weasel was their last pick for that. Only Leroy seemed to accept what Reggie was saying._

 _"_ _What's the plan?" the Hippo asked gruffly._

 _Reggie turned to him and gave a sly smile "Well we've tried the direct approach to completing this mission. I recommend something…sneaky."_

* * *

Reggie was snapped from his daydream by the sound of the cruiser door closing. He glanced over to see Grizzoli resettling in to his seat. Grizzoli looked at Reggie and shrugged.

"I told you that I needed a coffee, though by the look on your face you didn't hear a word I said."

Reggie sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah sorry about that, just thinking back to the Academy and how it was for me."

Grizzoli grunted "Good days for you?"

Reggie gave a hollow laugh "They treated me just like the rest of Zootopia. A pariah that needed to kept away from their wallets!"

"It's funny," Reggie continued "I've actually been treated nicer in the Precinct than out in the city because of the mammals who I got into a spat with, and I'm only starting to realize this now!" Reggie then started to chuckle, which turned into full on laughter.

Reggie could see Grizzoli eyeing him carefully. Eventually Reggie did calm down, his sides aching slightly from all the laughter. "Ah ticks Grizzoli how am I going to fix this?" Reggie finally asked, completely deflated.

The veteran let out a breath of air before speaking. "Well… the best way would be a public apology in front of Rollcall for Hopps and Wilde. Do some sucking up after that as well." Reggie huffed at the idea. While he wasn't convinced that he should apologize to Hopps, he knew that he wouldn't to Wilde.

"All I care about are the other officers' opinions, not those two" Reggie stated, trying not to sound so petty for how petty of a statement it was.

The veteran started rubbing the underside of his muzzle in thought. "Maybe Clawhauser then?"

"Clawhauser?"

"Oh yeah, he controls all the information that comes through the building, also all the gossip that goes on throughout as well. If you could get on his good side-well maybe neutral side- and not cause any more ruckus then everything may die down."

The mustela contemplated this idea.

 _"_ _No public apology. Will still be able to despise the two. Everyone else would turn neutral to me. Maybe make an acquaintance or two?"_

Reggie nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan." There was a pause, and then Reggie pinched the bridge of his muzzle between his eyes. "I have no idea how to do that." He admitted.

The veteran ursine gave a hearty laugh. "Getting on Clawhauser's good side is pretty easy, as long as you do one of two things. I gotta admit you're the first cop I have ever seen need to do that."

"Ok," Reggie said nodding his head, "what do I have to do?"

To get back in Clawhauser's good graces, Reggie needed to do one of two things. He could either somehow afford to buy tickets to the next Gazelle concert, or he could get one of his favorite donuts. Grizzoli warned him that these two ideas were not equal. The donut would thaw the relationship, while the tickets would warm it faster than a house on fire. Remembering his sparse living conditions, as well as his meager rookie salary, the Gazelle tickets were not an option. So donuts it is!

Unlike the day before, there was more action on the route. Six speeding violations, two noise complaints, an attempted mugging (an antelope who brazenly did so in front of the cruiser) a domestic disturbance and one very drunk skunk in Tundra Town. After contacting the local Precincts to pick up both the mugger and the skunk, the veteran officer's confidence in the rookie's abilities increased.

"How did you convince him to put his pants back on?" Grizzoli asked. They still had the mugger and were driving him back to the local HQ when they spotted the stumbling black and white mammal.

Reggie shrugged "Told him the only way to win was if he put them back on."

"Win what?"

The Weasel smirked "No idea, but it worked."

The Polar Bear laughed boisterously. "You ain't a fool that's for sure, but you do live up to the sneaky stereotype." Grizzoli leaned in giving a toothy grin to the mustela.

"Wait until I'm rested." Reggie said thru a yawn, stretching his arms over his head.

"What you need is coffee. That's the only way that we keep this up. Heck I wouldn't be surprised if Bogo has an IV of it hidden in his closest." The Bear gave another hearty laugh at his own joke before focusing back on the road.

Reggie imagined the large Bovine standing at the podium with a medical IV hanging out of his neck. He chuckled at the idea. Eventually the two officers shifts had ended and they headed back to the Precinct to start on the paperwork of their day. Unlike the day before where the only incident was a traffic report easily handled by Grizzoli, the day had been much busier and needed the appropriate paperwork filled out.

As they walked to the veteran's desk (the rookie not being assigned one yet), Reggie noticed the actions of his fellow officers. While some would call out to Grizzoli or even make small talk with him, many of them ignored the Weasel's presence. Those that did notice him did so with a scowl or glare. If Reggie had any hope of fixing his predicament, it seemed to be fading.

Once they made it to Grizzoli's desk, a new challenge arose for Reggie. Since Grizzoli's partner Snarlov was also a large mammal, and Reggie would have to write his reports using Snarlov's computer, the size difference between a weasel and a brown bear was very apparent.

While climbing into the large chair was to be expected anymore, the Bear sized keyboard and mouse made this tricky. Add to the fact that the monitor was close to the size of a large Weasel sized television, and Reggie was considering how much of his eyesight he was going to lose. With some determination, and quiet laughter from the amused ursine, Reggie figured if he slammed his paws into the keys he could type. He needed both paws to move the mouse, but thankfully it didn't give any resistance to moving.

After what felt like hours of punching keys, the paperwork was finally over. Reggie was spared from punishment by only having to write the reports on one of the speeding violations and the drunken disorderly. Grizzoli was able to write the other reports with ease, the attempted mugging being the longest.

With the burden of the day finally over, both of the officers headed to the locker room to get out of uniform.


	6. Familial Ties

Reggie found himself once again staring at his digital clock. Unlike times before though, it was reading the reasonable time of 8:04 PM. In his paw was his cell phone. He wanted to talk to someone about work, but he only had three people to talk to. Two of those people, his aunt and uncle would be less than thrilled to hear about his job as a cop. That only left his sister, who should be done at school soon. That left Reggie waiting, watching as the clock changed to 8:05 PM.

Mary and Regg were close, or as close as Weasel's could be to one another. Being only a year younger than him, many would expect a form of sibling rivalry. That was never the case. The reason had to deal more with their parents than their relationship. There was never a question in who was the favorite among them. Mary had always had their parent's eyes. She could do no wrong, and even Reggie had to admit that she actually didn't do anything wrong.

Mary was kind hearted, where she got that from no one is sure. She actually cared about other mammals, and didn't see them simply as targets. She wanted to help people, compared to Reggie's self interest in **feeling** like was helping. No he knew that he became a cop for a selfish reason. The rest of the Weaselton family was also known for being…a bit selfish. Reggie snorted.

 _"_ _No we are a family of a-holes."_

Everyone knew his aunt and uncle. "The Duke of Bootleg," a moniker Duke was secretly proud of. His mother and father were, thankfully, not as remembered. There were still some old timers, some grey furs and muzzles that talked about his father in whispers. Always talking about what he claimed to have done, or what they had seen him do.

Richard Weaselton was his father, though the whispers about him were only of his nickname.

 _"_ _Mad Rick."_

A comical nickname for a Weasel, until the stories behind Rick was told. His father was a mugger who worked small time, until he accidently killed a victim. That's where all of the old timers claim that Rick went insane and became ruthless. Reggie knew that was a lie, his father had always been ruthless.

Eventually he became an enforcer for the old Rainforest Mafia, and Rick's body count multiplied. Reggie stopped his train of thought there. He had read his father's file, all the crimes he had committed, as well as the one's he was a "Person of Interest" in. There was no doubt in his mind that those "Interest" cases were carried out by old Rick, but after dying when Reggie was young, Rick would never tell. Reggie sometimes liked to believe that the world was a little bit brighter without his father, sometimes.

After being lost in thought, Reggie once again glanced at the clock. This time the face read 8:24 PM.

* * *

Mary's day had been a long, but pleasing one. Finally she was starting to work with real patients at Tundra Hospital Regional (granted under the very keen eyes of registered nurses.) She couldn't be happier, even if she felt like she hadn't slept since the weekend. After she had said her farewell's to her other classmates, she braced herself against the cold wind of the Tundra night. As she was making her way to her little compact of a car she received a call. Quickly searching in her purse for her cell phone, she read the caller ID as her favorite (also only) brother.

"Hey Regg, haven't heard from you in awhile. How's cop life? Do any exciting chases yet?" Mary said with a giggle.

"Oh…you know…"

Mary furrowed her brows _"What did he do now?"_

"Regg… what did you do?"

"Hah" Reggie started with a dry laugh, "let's just say I messed up day one and will probably be paying for it until I retire."

"It can't be that bad. I mean what did you do? Shoot your boss? Blow up the building?"

"Er no… though that may have been better."

Mary sighed _"Of course."_

"You insulted Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde already didn't you?"

There was silence on the other end.

"Regg"

"Ok, ok, yes I did. They were right there Mare! I tried my best, but it was inevitable!"

She snorted "Really?"

"Yes Really!"

Mary stayed silent.

"* _Sigh*_ Ok it wasn't inevitable. I let my temper get in front of me again."

Mary sighed "Reggie we've talked about this. You have too much bottled up. What happens when you snap one day?"

Reggie snorted "What you actually think I'm going to shoot them?"

"No Regg, your dense not stupid. What I'm talking about is when you let all that anger pile up and then one day it bursts! You know dad used to have the same problem."

There was silence again.

"I'll call you back Mary."

"No wait Regg! I didn't mean it-!"

"Good bye."

There was the sound of the phone call disconnecting. Mary groaned in frustration. Her brother could be such an idiot.

 _"_ _You know how sensitive he is about dad"_

 _"_ _Yes, but they are alike!"_

 _"_ _Do you think he honestly wants to think that?"_

 _"_ _No…"_

Mary knew that Reggie wouldn't stay mad at her, and this train of thought wasn't new to her. They were the same ones whenever some mammal slipped about their father. She let out a heavy sigh and put her phone away.

 _"_ _And today was such a good day…"_

* * *

The third and the fourth day was more of the same. Silence seemed to follow Reggie wherever he went in the Precinct. On more than one occasion he passed by fellow officers conversing, only for them to grow quiet until after he had passed. Reggie for his part kept his eyes forward, and his head down. Even though Grizzoli had suggested a way for Reggie to fix his problem, he was hesitant to go through with it. He had been lied to before, and this may be simply a way for the old ursine to trick the Weasel. A paranoid thought yes, but one that Reggie was unwilling to get rid of. Reggie found out at RollCall that Grizzoli would be out for the next two days. With no partner to ride along with, and no one volunteering, Chief Bogo assigned him to parking duty.

A small white vehicle, barely tall enough for Reggie to not scrap his head on the roof, an orange caution vest and a blue bowler cap were now in his possession. He had heard snickering and soft laughter as he had left for the motor pool to get his vehicle. This wasn't new to him, but he had never felt like a performing clown until he put on the bowler cap. Thankfully a certain rabbit/fox cop duo was not around when Reggie exited the building.

The third day was filled with tickets, cursing, several death threats and one overly aggressive tiger mom. Reggie had dealt with before, but unlike other times where his answer to their statements may have been more curse heavy, he simply quoted the 'By the Book' response.

 _"_ _Sir/Madam, if you would like to appeal the ticket you may schedule an appointment to appear in traffic court."_

Reggie had stated that line so many times that he could not remember stating any other words that day. Thus the monotony of the day was clear.

Ping, Ticket, Yell, Response.

The fourth day started out the same as the last. Parking duty, snickering, Ping Ticket, Yell, Response.

There was a break in the pattern of the fourth day. As he was ticketing a large Giraffe vehicle (with some quick climbing and trying not to scratch the paint with his claws) a ZPD patrol cruiser pulled up beside him and his joke of a vehicle. The window of the cruiser started to slowly roll down and Reggie was hoping beyond hope that a certain pair would not be behind the tinted glass. His hope was short lived.

At the sight of a extremely smug looking red fox, and the more professional looking grey bunny partner in the driver's seat, Reggie started mentally preparing himself for whatever verbal onslaught was about to be launched. "Look a new meter maid Carrots!" Said Officer Wilde, a large grin playing over his muzzle as his eyes remained hidden by his aviators "ah don't you miss the good old days!"

"No." replied the rabbit curtly.

"What do you mean? Dealing with all those angry mammals, writing hundreds a tickets a day, and of course the lovely outfit, how could you not miss it?"

Hopps sighed and closed her eyes, "Come on Nick. You had your fun, now let's go."

"Hold on fluff I need to look over this fine officer of the law."

Wilde then gave Reggie a mocking look of appraisal, complete with a paw stroking his chin.

"Hmm, I dunno about this year's model Carrots. Seems a bit on the lean and scraggly side. Definitely not as cute as- Ah ok ok!"

Before Wilde could finish his statement, Hopps landed a powerful punch into his shoulder. Shifting his focus back to his irate partner, Wilde started rubbing the area of impact.

"I wasn't saying **YOU** were cute fluff!"

The rabbit not convinced, "No, just that **PAST** officers who have done parking duty were cute, and **I** was one of them!"

The fox chuckled "Don't I know it. No one has ever been able to pull off the outfit as you did!"

Hopps wound up to deliver another strike and Wilde cringed back and brought his paws up in defense.

"AH! Alright I give!" The Rabbit smiled then patting the fox on the arm.

"Good fox. You'll learn one day." Hopps said with a smile.

Reggie, now realizing that they had forgotten him, decided that it was time to make a quick retreat. As he turned to jump off the hood of the car, his eyes fell up another weasel walking down towards them. Even from a distance, Reggie recognized the one person who could turn this bad situation into a nightmare. The weasel had brown fur and was wearing a white beater that only went halfway down his chest, and a pair of black running shorts. He was also giving anyone who came close to him a strong glare as he chewed away at a toothpick Reggie knew was stuck between the Weasel's teeth.

 _"_ _Of course Duke would be here."_

Reggie once again hoped that the two bantering officers in the cruiser next to him did not notice the other weasel's approach. Once again his hope was dashed.

"Wait a minute Carrots. Is that the Duke of Bootleg himself?" Wilde said. Reggie could hear the glee in the vulpine's voice

Reggie heard the open and closing of the cruiser door, and glanced down quickly to see a pair of black tipped ears walk towards the front of the giraffe car. His only hope now was that when he jumped down from the car that the ground would swallow him up and put him out of his misery. For a third time he was let down.

As he rounded pas t the front of the vehicle, Reggie was greeted with the sight of a smirking fox cop and an irate weasel ex-con facing off against one another. "What do you want Wilde?"

"Can't a friend just stop by and say hi?"

"Me and yous ain't friends! In fact you and that flopsy partner of yours are a real pain in my tail."

Wilde placed a paw over his heart and his ears flattened against his skull. "You wound me Weselton."

"It's Weaselton!"

"I thought we were such good friends, especially after your nephew joined us. Aren't you proud of him?"

Duke growled "I ain't friends with no cops, and I ain't gotta nephew with you either!"

Wilde stepped back slightly, looking back towards Reggie.

"Well…how bout that." The tod said with a smug look. Duke's eyes following Wilde's gaze until it landed on Reggie.

"Ah…damn." Muttered the older weasel, his ears pinned back and tail falling behind him.

For his part, Reggie was trying as hard as possible not to lash out. Once Wilde started speaking, Reggie guessed where the conversation was going to end up. He knew that Duke wasn't especially pleased with his decision and would deny it at every opportunity, but for it to be said out loud was completely different. Reggie's eyes widened and he fought against a growing grin that threatened to take over his entire muzzle.

"Hey uh Wilde," Duke started, waving his paw to try to draw the fox's attention, "why don't you tell me what case you're workin' on and I'll give you some info. Free of charge."The fox officer turned back Duke, his head tilted in an inquisitive fashion. Reggie used the momentary distraction to quickly head back to his tiny vehicle and started to head past the cruiser.

As he passed the cruiser, a broad grin completely overtaking his face, he saw the rabbit in the driver's seat look down at him. Reggie saw the change in emotions on Hopps face. First it looked like sadness to Reggie, which only lasted until she saw his appearance. It then changed to shock and the rabbit's eyes followed Reggie. Her gaze never left him as he passed by and Reggie saw her ears swivel his direction even though her window was up. Reggie then turned his focus back onto the road, and couldn't help but start humming an old tune. His anger had won and for a little while he decided a bit of madness was necessary.

* * *

Reggie felt even more drained than his previous days. Physically, emotionally and definitely mentally he knew that he was spent. As he laid spread out on his bed, eyes closed and trying not to think, he couldn't help but to think. Different ideas and old voices of past experiences were debating what felt like a losing battle at the Precinct.

 _"_ _Come on Regg, you know this isn't meant for you. You a cop? HA! When has a Weaselton done anything good?"_ One reminded him

 _"_ _We have gone through the training, are well versed in tactics and procedure, and even graduated valedictorian. I believe that we are more than qualified to help Zootopia in our current status."_ Another chimed in

 _"_ _Stop kidding yourself cop! We all know how this ends. One day we can't pay the bills, and then BOOM! One corrupt Weasel patrolling the streets. We could make a killing that way too."_

An older, familiar voice rang out next. _"Why don't we simply get rid of the fox and the rabbit? Then our problems disappear!"_

Reggie's eyes shot open, his entire mind completely quiet after that final thought.

 _"_ _No. No. No. NO. NO. NO!"_ Reggie screamed internally, pushing down all other thoughts down.

He was cop now, not a street thug and definitely not insane. His hesitation came from his mishandling of his first day and he was well aware of that. If anything Reggie knew that he should deal with the consequences and face this head on. Reggie also knew that he would more than likely snap by the end of the month if he didn't at least start to thaw out relations with his co-workers.

Reggie's phone started to vibrate. He got off the bed and picked it up from the dresser, expecting to see Mary calling. It was Duke. Not wanting to talk to his uncle, or really anyone, Reggie swiped ignore and went back to his bed phone in hand. Closing his eyes once more, he felt a quick vibration from his phone once again. Glancing at the screen, he saw that a voice message had be left. Rubbing his eyes, he brought the phone to his ear and clicked on the voice message. There was the sound of rustling before a recognizable voice could be heard.

"Uh...hey Regg, it's Duke." Started off the voice, Reggie could hear the hesitation in his uncle's words. "I just wanted to call and say I'm sorry."There was a heavy sigh "You know we's real prou-"another voice interrupted Duke.

"Have you called em yet?" shouted the voice of his aunt, Duchess.

"I'm on the phone now woman! Give me a break!" retorted Duke

"The only break I'm giving you is a broken arm if you don't tell him we're proud!"

"Oh now yous done it! I was just about to say that, then **YOUS** had to blab your big mouth!" Duke screamed. There was some more incoherent screaming at one another before another voice chimed in.

"You two knock it off! We don't need a noise complaint again" shouted the familiar voice of Mary. Some more grumbling, a 'Sorry' or two before the voice shifted back to the phone call.

"Anyways, even though me and your aunt don't say it we uh…really are proud of you Regg. Maybe not of being a cop, but hey your life." Duke mumbled the last part. Reggie had been covering his eyes with one of his paws, while the other held onto the phone. After Duke said that they were proud of him, he felt a warm feeling in his chest. It was a swell of pride that at least some mammal's out there was happy for him.

"So yeah…call back when you get a chance…or you know…stop by" There was the sound of disconnect and an 'end of message' sound. Reggie hadn't been to his aunt and uncle's place since before the academy, and even then sparingly since both were known felons. Still, they were his family and he knew that he had to go and see them soon.

 _"_ _Ok…new info."_ Thought Reggie, feeling a bit more invigorated after the message.

 _"_ _You got this. Now it's time to start fixing these burned bridges."_

Reggie kept his eyes closed as his thoughts bickered amongst themselves. Paying attention to any good ideas thrown to the forefront of his mind. One did stick as a first move, one that Grizzoli had suggested before and Reggie was now accepting as his best move. Opening his eyes with a smile, Reggie glanced at the digital clock which read 9:47 PM. He would need to try to get some sleep tonight for tomorrow. Reggie sighed contentedly as he pushed all his thoughts aside and tried to find some peace and quiet.


	7. On the Fifth Day Part One

The next morning Reggie found himself outside of the Snarlbucks from before. He wasn't sure why, but he was hoping the raccoon would be there again. Reggie couldn't remember her name to save his life, but he had a feeling she wouldn't hold it against him. She seemed so friendly, so nice, and so cheerful. Reggie told himself that it was her job to be that way. She **HAD** to be nice to every mammal. Even still, Reggie could not bring himself to believe it. She didn't strike him as the mammal who would do something she didn't want to do.

As he stood in front of the doors, pondering the forgotten named raccoon, with a large pink box filled with donuts taking up both of his paws, the door opened to him suddenly. Standing in front of him was the raccoon in question, with a smile on her face.

"Reggie your back!" the raccoon said cheerfully "I was worried I may have scared you off."

Feeling a bit flustered that the raccoon had remembered his name, while he had no recollection of hers, Reggie stammered out a reply. "Er yeah…no you didn't scare me away," Reggie gave a small smile "in fact I was hoping to get another one of those drinks you fixed up."

The raccoon waved with her paw for Reggie to enter, "Not a problem at all!" The same calming atmosphere that Reggie found himself in the first time greeted him this time as well. The raccoon walked to head behind the counter, her tail lazily sweeping on the ground behind her. "I saw someone with their paws full and I decided to give them a hand." The raccoon turned around and gave Reggie a shy smile "I had no idea it was you, but I'm glad it was!"

Reggie felt his cheeks getting warmer and hoped that she couldn't see the red tinting in his ears. Putting the box on the counter, he then rubbed the back of his neck with a free paw. "I'm uh…glad to see you as well" was all that Reggie could muster. The raccoon's smile grew at Reggie's comment.

"So you want the same as last time, right?"

Reggie nodded his head.

"Alrighty then! One 'Dirty Chai' coming up!"

With that the raccoon went to work. Once again Reggie could smell the sweet yet bitter aroma's coming from the machine behind the counter. The raccoon seemed to work fervently, like a mad scientist creating the greatest drink possible. When it was all said and done, and the cup was slid across the counter to him, Reggie had a sudden realization that with his paws full with the box of donuts he wouldn't be able to hold the drink.

Seeming to read Reggie's mind, the raccoon bent behind the counter and pulled up a cardboard cup holder. "It won't be great, but you may be able to balance it on the box better" the raccoon said. Reggie grabbed both the cup and cup holder before retrieving his wallet. The raccoon waved him off. "No, no! Your money's no good here" the raccoon stated with a wink. Thinking quickly, Reggie spotted an empty tip jar. Taking a few bills from his wallet, he put them in the jar.

"Might as well pay for the service then" Reggie said with a smirk.

The raccoon smirked and waved a paw at the Weasel. "Oh you do know how to make a girl blush" the raccoon said slyly, half lidded brown eyes appraising the mustela. Reggie once again felt hot underneath his collar.

"Ha! Well I gotta run off! Work and Such!" Reggie stumbled out loudly, trying not to reveal how her words affect him. It didn't work.

"Have a good day!" the raccoon said through a small laugh and waving her paw. Reggie quickly gathered the cup holder and balanced it on the box. Then headed for the door, internally thanking whoever installed the doors to push out. "Oh and Reggie" the raccoon called out as he was at the door. Reggie looked up to barely see the head of the raccoon. "The name's Sheri, since you forgot." Even from a distance Reggie could hear the smugness in her voice and the giggle afterwards.

Feeling as if his cheeks would light on fire, he quickly started pushing against the door as Reggie made a hasty retreat. "Sorry!" is the last thing Reggie yelled out before trying to move as fast as possible away from the Snarlbucks and his embarrassment.

Today was starting out to be a good one.

* * *

Reggie couldn't help but reconsider how well the day would go since doors were his greatest enemy at the moment. Somehow making it up the stairs of the Precinct without spilling either the donuts or his drink, Reggie now found himself stopped by another set of doors that he would not be able to open.

"This is just great," muttered Reggie as doubt started to creep back into his mind of whether his peace offering would work or not. Just then he heard the foot fall of someone coming up behind him. Turning around he saw a familiar female tiger, studying what looked to have been a case file. Seeing his opportunity, Reggie acted quickly.

"Excuse me Officer Fangmeyer I believe?" Reggie started

The Tiger looked up, not seeing anyone in front of her; she looked down and locked eyes on Reggie. A look of recognition, followed by a trace amount of antipathy played across the large feline's face.

"Hello! Sorry to bother you, but my hands are full and I was hoping you could get the door for me if you will?" Reggie tried to give the friendliest smile he could, even though it felt greasy.

Fangmeyer chuffed before heading towards the doors and opening it wide for the mustela. Reggie quickly scampered past and gave a quick shout of thanks before heading towards the front desk. As he expected a certain cheetah was sitting behind the desk, engrossed on his phone as his body moved to a soundless beat. Reggie stood in front of the front desk and cleared his throat to gain the feline's attention. Clawhauser looked down to see a smiling weasel holding a drink and a box in front of him. The feline quickly put his phone down and started to type rapidly on his computer.

Reggie sighed _"Should have expected that."_

Reggie once again cleared his throat "Uh…Officer Clawhauser?"

The cheetah gave him a quick glance before returning his gaze back to the computer.

"I heard you liked pink rainbow sprinkled donuts" continued Reggie; he was already in deep might as well finish the job. The spotted feline shifted his gaze onto Reggie, staring intently. The weasel put the box down, removed the cup holder from the top and picked up the pink box once more.

"I also heard that you liked a specific bakery as well, so I went and bought you some." With that Reggie opened the lid to the box to reveal two dozen pink rainbow sprinkled donuts. The feline's eyes immediately lighted up.

"O. ! They said that someone bought them all!" Clawhauser exclaimed.

Reggie gave a small smile "Yeah… that was me…as an apology for the other day."

The cheetah let out a squeal in delight and moved around the desk to Reggie. With unexpectedly quick reflexes, Clawhauser grabbed the box of donuts, placed them on top of the desk, then turned around and hugged Reggie tightly and lifted him off the ground. After a few seconds of choking from the large feline, Reggie started to desperately poke at the shoulder of Clawhauser. "Oh so sorry!" Clawhauser said apologetically "I'm a hugger."

Reggie once again back on his own paws and gasping for air "It's…hah…no…whoo…problem…"

"I have to say no one has ever bought me all of them before!" the feline said giddily "usually only one or two!"

"Well I figured I messed up big, so I needed to go big" Reggie said.

"I'll say!" said the excited cheetah. Then Clawhauser's eyes narrowed "What's up between you three?"

Alarms were going off in Reggie's head. If Clawhauser really was gossip central then telling him anything could be dangerous. Taking the safe road, Reggie waved off the Cheetah "Just me and my big mouth, that's all."

Clawhauser didn't look convinced, but Reggie kept his stare. Eventually the cheetah shrugged, and then headed back to behind the front desk. "You know you will have to make up with them" Clawhauser stated, looking down at Reggie once more though with a much brighter expression on his face, "they are the best cops around and everyone loves them."

Reggie nodded "Yeah I figured that, though not fast enough."

Clawhauser gave a chuckle, and then his gaze fixed on the doors. "Well there's one now if you want to apologize" Clawhauser said suggestively.

Reggie quickly turned around to see a familiar grey bunny officer enter the building. Panic shot through the Weasel, not wanting or expecting to interact with either Hopps or Wilde this morning. "Thatsokgottagobye!" Reggie shouted, his words meshing together as he moved towards the locker room, cup in hand. He hoped that Hopps didn't get a glimpse of him.

* * *

Rollcall had been as bad as the day before, though this time Reggie felt hopeful for the future. Still his co-workers didn't take notice of him, but by the time that he and Grizzoli were heading out to the cruiser there was a difference. There were less scowls, less looks of distain. If anything many of the officers simply didn't notice Reggie, and compared to the last three days that was perfectly fine by him.

 _"Clawhauser works fast."_

Grizzoli seemed to be in better shape as well. Whatever the Ursine did on those two days off left him in a much better mood, and smelling much less of alcohol but still of fish. While the Polar Bear's uniform wasn't pristine, it was much better than their first day together. As they started their patrol, once again switching between the freezing tundra and that lush rainforest, Reggie had found he had nothing to say. He was a Weasel of few words, but even he was able to have small talk. Wanting to ask about the change in demeanor in his partner, yet unsure on how to approach it, Reggie decided to wait for Grizzoli to initiate. The arctic Ursine did not disappoint.

"So you got donuts for Clawhauser." Grizzoli stated, Reggie could see the grin on his face, "took my advice after all."

Reggie rubbed the back of his head "It was that or Gazelle, and I'm living off a cop's salary."

Grizzoli burst out laughing, slapping the steering wheel with one of his giant paws.

"Yeah that's the only way to win over ol' Clawhauser. Though he seemed more enamored with you than I expected from one donut." The Polar Bear eyed the Weasel up, waiting for a reply.

Reggie chuckled "I may have…bought him more than one…" Grizzoli nodding, urging him to continue, "I bought two dozen of those donuts you told me to get."

"Well! Big spender!" Grizzoli said in a booming voice "you sure you couldn't just buy Gazelle?"

This time Reggie could not help but laugh "Not without robbing a bank."

Grizzoli shook his head grinning, and went back to focusing on the road. Reggie was curious about his partner's scheduled leave but decided to approach the subject, with caution.

"So…the Chief said that you took the last two days off." Reggie started nonchalantly, watching his partner in order to avoid a sore subject "how was that?"

The veteran officer shrugged eyes still on the road "I went to go see my other partner, Snarlov. You remember me telling you about him right?"

Reggie nodded "The first day, a brown bear right?" Grizzoli glanced over at Reggie and gave him a sly look.

"Look at you Weaselton, a couple more days with me, and you'll be a full blown detective!" The Polar Bear chuckled at his own remark, while Reggie simply remained quiet. Then a thought struck Reggie, something the chief said.

"Wait…isn't he on vacation? Why would you need to see him?" inquired the Weasel, turning to look directly at his partner.

Grizzoli flinched "Ah damn."

"Something wrong?"

The Polar Bear sighed "No one was supposed to know…"

Reggie curiosity peaked at the statement "About…?"

The Bear glanced over at the Weasel "Snarlov…isn't on vacation…" Grizzoli let out a sigh "He's in rehab."

A tense silence now filled the cruiser, with Reggie only managing a simple "oh"

The Bear now shifting uncomfortably in his seat "A call we got awhile ago went **_REAL_** bad, and Snarlov started hitting the sauce pretty hard. After awhile he started coming into work drunk or drinking on the job. The Chief and I were able to convince him to 'take a vacation', but no one else knew until now."

"I'm sorry to hear that" was all that Reggie could muster to say. A thought then occurred to Reggie, could this be what is happening to Grizzoli as well? The Weasel looked hard at the Polar Bear, whose eyes were now back on the road, and tried to see anything hidden beneath the white fur. What he saw was an officer of the law who was holding something back, and now the drinking could be explained. Reggie knew it wasn't his place to say, and he also knew that once brought up Grizzoli would deny a similar situation to Snarlov. Still the Weasel couldn't help but wonder how long until the veteran officer would need to 'take a vacation.' Reggie's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice over the radio.

"Car 45, this dispatch over"

Grizzoli picked up the mic and keyed it "This is 45, what's up Clawhauser."

"We just received a report of a domestic disturbance at the corner of Fern street and Gully ave. All local units are tied up and we're asked to check it out."

"10-4 dispatch. Mark us responding."

"Okie Dokie Grizzoli!"

The Polar Bear chuckled "Haven't heard him this excited since Gazelle extended her tour."

* * *

As they pulled up to the location of the domestic disturbance, Reggie couldn't help but feel uneasy. Something was bothering him, something he couldn't put his claw on. When the pulled to a stop right at the corner, Grizzoli decided for them to walk around and see where the call came from. Both officers exited the large cruiser at the same time, though Reggie with some difficulty. With his paws on the pavement, Reggie realized what had been bothering him.

It was silent.

No sound of mammals, of birds, cars or any other machinery. Just complete and total silence and it unnerved him to no end. Reggie looked around, taking in as much of his surroundings as possible. There were some cars of different sizes parked on the street, several dilapidated concrete structures, many different large trees and fauna surrounding all the structures and an alleyway with what looked like a rolling trash bin to one side. All in all, another poor neighborhood in the Rainforest district, so why was it so quiet.

"Be careful" Reggie heard Grizzoli grumble "Something's up."

Reggie could hear the large ursine walk towards the front cruiser and he followed suit, paw on his tranq pistol. The fur on Reggie's tail stood out, and with each step forward he felt like he was walking into danger. Finally there was noise. There a loud crack and the ping of something hitting the cruiser. "Take cover!" yelled Grizzoli, already moving to Reggie's side as the Weasel lunged towards the middle of his side of the car and pulled out his pistol. The older ursine, quickly ducking next to the side of the car with his back pushed against it.

"You see the shooter?" Reggie asked

Grizzoli shook his head "The shot bounced off my door."

Shots continued to ring out and bounce of the metal body of the cruiser as Grizzoli called in for back-up. Reggie kept his head on a swivel, going left to right. Past Grizzoli he saw movement from an animal he didn't immediately recognize.

"Move!" shouted Reggie, aiming his pistol past the Bear and at the unknown mammal. Just then another shot rang out in front of the Weasel, and a spray of blood shot out from his partner.

"Gah!" shouted the Polar Bear, blood staining on the left shoulder of his uniform. Reggie pulled the trigger of his own pistol and heard the _thunk_ of the air pressured dart shooting out. Not sure if he hit his target or not, Reggie grabbed Grizzoli by one of his claw's and started pulling him towards the alley.

"We need to move!" shouted the Weasel, the Polar Bear quickly releasing the hold on his claw and followed the running mustela into the alley. More shots followed as they officers ran as fast as possible to the safety of the alley. Though it was a short distance towards the dumpster in middle of the alley, it was obvious to Reggie that the wound to Grizzoli was affecting the Bear. Blood was starting to flow freely from the wound, and as the rounded metal dumpster, Grizzoli collapsed into the corner of where the wall met the container.

"This ain't so good is it?" Said Grizzoli, a small grin on his muzzle "Day five and you got me shot!"

Reggie could hear the joke, could see that the Bear was trying to lighten the mood, but couldn't bring himself to smile back. Instead he raked through belt for the triage kit. Finding it Reggie climbed up his partner to try and stop the bleeding.

"You gotta lighten up Weaselton! It's just a fire fight!" The Polar Bear laughed at his joke. Reggie with paws shaking remained focused on the wound. The kit may have been able to handle large mammals, but the bullet went through the back of his partner and Reggie didn't have enough bandages to stop both wounds.

"You have your triage kit on you?" asked Reggie calmly, he couldn't let his emotions get the best of him today. Grizzoli shook his head

Reggie sighed, and keyed his shoulder mic. "This is Officer Weaselton. Shots fired and Officer down at my location. Need back-up 10-25!" The last part came out strained in Reggie's voice, fear starting to work away at his outward appearance. He didn't hear the response from Clawhauser, for at the same time a voice rang out from the mouth of the alley way.

"OH WEASEL!" the voice said singsong, "Come out and PLAY!"

Reggie could hear several different voices laughing. Pushing himself to the other corner of the dumpster, Reggie quickly peered around the corner at the group approaching him. He saw a male lion, a hippo, a badger and a zebra. All of them carrying some form of homemade firearm. His instincts started to whisper to Reggie about abandoning Grizzoli, leaving him to die as he probably would. Another voice told him to live to fight another day, no shame in running. A final voice had the winning argument.

" _Protect the Badge."_

His temper rising, a grin started to work its way onto Reggie's face. This time he didn't fight against it. Soon the broad grin enveloped his entire muzzle; his eyes grew as wide as the fire of adrenaline pumped through his veins. Turning to Grizzoli and in a very chipper tone Reggie tried to reassure the wounded officer. "Don't worry partner! I'll protect you!" The half-lidded smile that was on Grizzoli's face was replaced by one of concern.


	8. On the Fifth Day Part Two

_Reggie was sitting in his father's study. He didn't understand what there was to study, but that's what his parent called it so he did too. He was kicking his feet sitting in one of the large chairs his father owned, sitting in front of a Weasel sized wooden desk, with a large swivel chair and small bookshelf behind the desk. He wasn't sure why he was here. Reggie didn't think he did anything wrong. He had heard both his father and uncle talking about 'the family business' whatever that meant. Reggie wasn't sure what his father did, but he did wear a lot of suits and hung around some really big mammals so it must have been important._

 _As he started humming a song he heard on the radio, his father walked in. Smoking what he heard his father call a 'cigarette' in one paw while in the other held is suit jacket. Reggie smiled as his dad came in and walked around the desk to sit in the swivel chair. Placing his jacket on the side of the chair, and taking drag from the cigarette, his father looked at Reggie._

 _Reggie waved a paw at his father "Hi daddy!"_

 _The older Weasel smiled "Hey kiddo."_

 _"_ _Sooooo…" Reggie started dragging the sentence while looking around "what you wanna talk to me about?"_

 _His father chuckled "Straight to the point, that's why I love ya kiddo!" Reggie beamed at his father's statement._

 _"_ _Today you're going to start learning the family business" Reggie's father started._

 _"_ _What's that?" asked Reggie innocently_

 _His father gave a soft smile that Reggie knew was full of love and affection._

 _"_ _Hurting mammals."_

* * *

Reggie knew he was outnumbered and out clawed. He also knew that if he hoped to survive this, then he would need more than his lack of charm to out of this mess. As he worked out a plan, Reggie could hear his father's voice in the back of his head like background music.

 _"_ _A Weasel will always be outmatched in a straight fight, so you have to fight dirty."_

 _"_ _Surprise and quick action is the key."_

 _"_ _Give them no opening."_

The grin still plastered on his face, Reggie's tail was twitching ready to spring into action. All he needed was an opportunity. That opportunity came as he could hear the voices of the other mammals, and it sounded like they weren't sure what to do either. Finally one yelled out.

"Hey Weasel! If you and your partner don't-"

Whoever started speaking Reggie wasn't sure. For as soon as the mammal started, he flung around the corner of the dumpster and aimed. Time seemed to slow down as he pointed at each mammal. Looks of shock and unready weapons met Reggie. He could do this. He would do this.

 _Thunk_

 _Thunk_

 _Thunk_

 _Thunk_

The other mammals caught off guard by the Weasel's swift action weren't fast enough. Three of Reggie's shots hit their mark. One dart hit the hippo in the stomach. Another buried itself in the thigh of the Zebra. The third found its mark in the chest of the badger. The final dart flew wide over the head of the large feline, way off its mark. Even before the final dart zoom past the lion, Reggie was already charging forward. The Weasel started to laugh as the maniacal grin stayed in place. Each step felt an eternity. One slow and steady paw after the other, the alleyway flew past Reggie's vision. His heart racing, the mustela could only hear the sound of his own blood pumping. Reggie watched as the lion lifted the homemade weapon. Saw the firearm swing his way. His eyes lit up as the weapon fired. Only to send gravel flying through the air in front of Reggie as the lion's nerves got the better of him.

 _"_ _Remember Regg, doesn't matter what type of animal it is. Attack the tendons."_

Reggie raced through the legs of the feline; taking his right paw and digging his claws behind the ankle of the perp. A loud roar echoed from the lion, as he tried to kick with his other leg at Reggie. By the time large cat lifted up its other leg, Reggie removed his claws and the feline collapsed into a kneeling position. Moving quickly, Reggie raced to the back of the feline and latched himself onto the fabric of the feline's shirt. He started to climb the back of the lion, digging his short claws through the shirt and trying to draw blood with each plunge. The lion roared once more and tried desperately to reach the Weasel now attacking him from behind. Reggie made it to the cat's upper back and grabbed onto the mane of the lion. He hoisted himself up to almost straddling the lion's shoulders. Before the lion could swipe at him, the Weasel shot his paw through the golden mane of the lion and latched his claws onto the back of the lion's neck.

"Stop!" ordered Reggie, trying to calm his glee "one more move and I jam my claws straight through your spine!"

The lion halted "Your bluffing!" huffed the lion. Reggie squeezed the skin on the back of the feline's neck, digging his claws into the skin. Through a fit of giggles the mustela answered.

"Try me" Reggie stage whispered.

There was a tense pause that must have only lasted seconds but felt like hours to Reggie before the lion responded.

"Ok Ok! Hold on! Can't we work something out?"

" _Do it Kiddo! Finish him off!"_

 _"_ _Police procedure Regg! Police Procedure!"_

The internal struggle in Reggie's mind forced the Weasel to hesitate. Everything his father had taught him to show no mercy. To remove all those who stood against the mustela, and the want to accomplish this goal was compelling. A year ago and Reggie may have given in to the idea, but he was no longer that Weasel. He was an officer of the law and needed to act like one! "Paws flat on the ground and lay forward" finally commanded Reggie, he then quickly squeezed the back of the feline's neck to push the point. With a grumble, the lion then laid prone, paws flat on the ground.

"Grizzoli!" called out Reggie, "how you doing!"

The Polar Bear replied, though Reggie couldn't make out what he was saying. Reggie directed his attention back to the motionless lion underneath him. "You better hope my partner makes it," started the Weasel, "or else I can't guarantee your safety!" The Weasel started giggling once more as he felt a shiver run through the feline.

* * *

After what felt like ages later, several police cruisers surrounded the scene. Officers from Precinct Seven Rainforest District and Precinct One taped off the area around the alley and the cruiser Reggie and Grizzoli used. Reggie found himself staring at the passenger side of the cruiser, wondering how he could drive it. He tried to ignore the small spray of blood on his door that contrasted with the white of the cruiser. Grizzoli had lost a lot of blood, but thankfully being close to Tundra Town meant that there was a large supply of it at the Tundra Regional Hospital. The EMT's wanted to look over Reggie as well, but he waved them away. He knew he didn't receive any injuries, if he did then there would have been two dead cops instead of one injured.

Nothing was known about the shooters at the moment, but all of the officers seemed to agree that this was too coordinated to be a random attack. Guns were almost impossible to get in Zootopia, and while they didn't have any manufactured weapons, even having the equipment to make what they had would have taken a monumental effort. Reggie also knew that this investigation was well above his pay grade. A paw rested on Reggie's shoulder, causing Reggie to instinctively turn. The paw in question belonged to Wolford. A smile played across the veteran's muzzle, but the amber eyes of the wolf officer showed only concern.

"You ok Weaselton?" asked the grey wolf

Reggie nodded "Not my first fight."

The Weasel felt Wolford squeeze his shoulder "There's a difference between a brawl and a shootout." The wolf held his gaze on Reggie.

Reggie sighed "Yeah…I guess you're right."

Wolford shifted uncomfortably on his hind paws "The uh...first responders said you were acting pretty weird…you sure your feeling alright?"

Reggie glanced away from the wolf and back towards the alley, watching as the crime scene investigators placed markers along the ground. No he didn't feel alright. He was exhausted, but felt like he could run for days. He wanted to bury himself away to never feel that high again, but also longed to experience that euphoria. Reggie wanted to be a good cop, but felt like he had completely failed. He wouldn't let the grey wolf know this.

"It's a weasel thing," Reggie mumbled, turning his gaze back to Wolford "I promise I'm fine."

"Alright, well if you say so. Me and Fang are heading back to the Precinct. We can take your statement and you can start on the paperwork. How bout that?" Reggie nodded. If nothing else he needed a new change of clothes. His uniform stained with Grizzoli's blood as well as some of the lion's.

Wolford, moving his paw Reggie's opposite shoulder, led the Weasel to another police cruiser. A familiar Tiger leaning against the side of the vehicle watching the two approach.

"Everything good Wolf?" inquired Fangmeyer

"As it always is!" cracked Wolford. The tiger rolled her eyes before heading to the driver side. Wolford opened and closed the backdoor of the cruiser for Reggie before entering the vehicle himself. As they started to drive away Wolford turned around to look at Reggie.

"So Weaselton…have any good stories?"

* * *

The ride back to Precinct One was filled with laughter. Not Reggie's laughter but Wolford's. After the question was asked, the grey wolf started on a tirade of terrible stories. One after the other they flew from the ecstatic officer's mouth. Didn't matter if they were clean, dirty or some grey area that Reggie didn't know exist, it was all said. All the while Fangmeyer only sighed and sometimes muttered something under her breath. Reggie was sure that Wolford was doing this to get a reaction from the Weasel. Another day and Reggie would have at least laughed to be courteous, but his mind was blank after he sat down in the cruiser. His thoughts would wander to the events that had taken place, but he would force them down for another time. From the way Wolford talked to him before he entered the cruiser, Reggie knew that the wolf thought he was in shock from the fight. No Reggie had been in more than his fair share of fights and seen more than his fill of blood. No what ate at Reggie as he stared straight ahead while Wolford started another comedic routine was what he was willing to do to that Lion. He was willing to kill.

All of his training and experiences told Reggie he was in the right. All were in consensus that Reggie had no choice; it was either attack or die. Reggie knew that, but that didn't make the knowledge more bearable. He had used what his father had taught him instead of what the Academy had ground into him. All of his training, those months of grueling work and long nights, and in Reggie's first stressful moment that is all thrown out the window. Reggie knew that if there was an internal investigation into what he did that he would come up clean. A Weasel going against a full grown Lion, what else was there to do? Reggie knew the truth however, how easy it would have been to simply plunge his claws into the back of the Lion's neck and put an end to the struggle. To give in to the want of warm blood running through his paws as his victim laid motionless. He knew his Sirens call.

And Reggie almost gave in.

As the ride continued, he heard Fangmeyer chuckle at whatever Wolford's joke was. Figuring that it must have been a good one, Reggie smiled politely, then turned and looked out the side window. Watching as the scenery flew past his view. A thought popped into the Weasel's head.

 _"_ _Today should have been a good day."_

* * *

Reggie has no memory of leaving the cruiser, or of entering the Precinct's front doors. Of seeing Officer Clawhauser and walking up the steps towards the Chief's office. What he does remember is the feeling of dread standing outside of the large wooden door with opaque glass, with the words 'Chief of Police' written in gold lettering. Wolford had let him know that Chief Bogo wanted to see him immediately. No time to change, just head straight up. Now he sat in an overly large chair for his size, Reggie couldn't help but become agitated by his situation. He waited for the large Cape Buffalo to finish reading a paper in his hoof, reading glasses balancing delicately on the large mammal's snout. Seconds stretching to feel like minutes, minutes to feel like hours, and all the while his nose is continually being fed the scent of blood on the front of his uniform. Finally, Chief Bogo put the paper down on the desk in front of him and removed his reading glasses, directing his hard stare at the mustela.

"Officer Weaselton," started the Bull "how are you feeling?"

The question threw Reggie off. He expected to be chewed out for letting his partner get shot. For the Chief to demand his badge right then and there for failing to protect Grizzoli, not for the large mammal to be considering Reggie's personal wellbeing.

"Uh…fine sir." responded Reggie

The Cape Buffalo snorted "Don't lie Weaselton. It's written all over you. You're **NOT** fine." Chief Bogo's gaze hardened into a glare. Reggie couldn't help but wilt under the intense gaze of his boss.

The Weasel sighed "Your right sir, I'm not fine." The Bull nodded and then continued.

"I received a call from the first responders. It seems they were worried about your mental state when they arrived."

Reggie rubbed the back of his head "Yeah…I kind of lost it there for a bit. Nothing new sir, honest!" Reggie said that last part quickly, trying to smooth over the situation.

"Its news to me" The Cape Buffalo glowered "I can't have Officers in my Precinct losing their mind while on duty."

The Weasel waved frantically in front of the Bull "Hold on Chief! I promise this is a natural thing!"

Chief Bogo glared at Reggie "Explain."

"Have you ever heard of the Weasel War Dance?" The Bull kept his glare, but shook his head slightly. "It's a…instinctual behavior that exists in Weasels. When our ancestors were discovered by our prey we would 'dance' so to speak. Apparently some mammals find it mesmerizing." Reggie felt no way near comfortable talking about this subject. This wasn't something that he had heard other Weasel's talking about outside of his family, let alone with a non-Weasel.

"So…you're saying you were dancing?" asked the Cape Buffalo, his gaze firm showing disbelief "that doesn't explain, and I quote, 'manic look' you had."

Reggie now started scratching the underside of his muzzle, a nervous tick he had. "It's a bit more complicated than saying it was a 'maniacal look'. I'm aware of how I look when this happens, but I am also in control and haven't gone insane."

Chief Bogo frowned "None of the mammals involved were Weasel's natural prey."

The Weasel once again found himself rubbing the back of his head, this time his paw then sliding down the side of his muzzle to his nose.

 _"_ _I really don't want to talk about this…"_

He sighed "That's more of a family thing than a Weasel thing. You know who my father was correct?"

The Chief nodded.

"Well his…profession allowed him to…er…experiment with 'the dance.' Eventually he figured out how to get it going no matter what circumstance." Reggie shook his head at the memory of his father teaching him.

 _"_ _Those damnable lessons."_

Chief Bogo pinched the bridge of his nose "Do I want to know how?" Reggie adamantly shook his head. The Chief once again turned his glare back onto the Weasel "Why didn't you mention this at the Academy?"

Reggie adjusted in his seat "Well honestly I assumed that you knew about the War Dance…so I wouldn't have to explain it…" He trailed off at the end of his statement, now realizing how weak of an argument that was.

The Cape Buffalo sighed "How could we have known if you're the first Weasel?"

Reggie quickly shifted his gaze back onto the Cape Buffalo "Sir I can't be the first. I mean there have been Otters and other mustelas!" Reggie's breathing was starting to become shallow. The only reason the pressure of the Academy never got to him was simply the idea he wasn't the first. He wasn't a trailblazer, just another mammal trying to do what's right. He didn't want to be what others were compared to; he didn't even like comparing himself to others!

Chief Bogo gave a concerned look towards the obviously panicking Weasel "It's alright Weaselton. Nothing to get worked up about. This information would have been preferred before you arrived. That is all" The Chief missed what was bothering Reggie, but the young mustela was in no mindset to explain. Reggie breathed in several deep breaths, each time getting more of the copper smell of blood to the back of his throat.

"Sir, why wasn't I allowed to change before coming up here?" The Chief shifted in his seat.

"I prefer to see my Officers directly after any engagement where casualties are involved. I admit that Wolford left out that your uniform was…disheveled. I apologize for that." Chief Bogo looked as solemn as his words, and eventually Reggie was able to calm down. The mustela's breathing under control; Reggie figured it was time to ask the hard question.

"Sir, my position on the force…is it in jeopardy?"

The Cape Buffalo gave an amused snort, his ear flicking as if to swat at something "Weaselton if I let you off the force after saving another Officers life, I may have a full riot on my hands."

"Besides, you have done nothing that warrants dismissal. The information would have been appreciated, but you easily proved today how this skill will help you in the future. With that being said I want a full written report on this 'War Dance' and you to meet with the psychiatrist on staff as soon as possible. Understood?"

Reggie nodded and Chief Bogo continued.

"I'm well aware that your time here has been rather, shall we say, rough. Granted self-imposed if the rumors are to be trusted. I would expect your time here to become more manageable. With that being said there is something I need to do that I should have done on the first day." The Cape Buffalo rose and extended his hoof towards Reggie. Reggie in turn stood up and stretched towards open hoof, his paw being completely surrounded by the larger mammal's. With a firm shake Chief Bogo spoke.

"Welcome to Precinct One."


	9. One Week Later

_From the Desk of Officer Gregor Snarlov_

 _Additional Officer: Reginald C. Weaselton_

 _Addendum #1_

 _Case File: # 57246_

 _Crime: Two Counts Attempted Murder of a Police Officer, Ten Counts Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Four Counts Illegal Use of Firearms, Four Counts Illegal Possession of Materials for Firearms, Resisting Arrest._

 _This Addendum is for the purposes of understanding the natural phenomenon known as the "Weasel War Dance."_

 _Dr. Wiki Pedia writes in her article that "It is speculated that ancient Weasel's used 'War Dance' to confuse or disorient prey. This is theorized to only have occurred if the Weasel in question was seen by the prey as it was hunting. In modern Weasel's it can be brought upon by instances of joy or complete happiness."_

 _The 'War Dance' is known in the Weasel community and is seen as a good thing. It is not uncommon for the dance to occur during wedding celebrations or births of offspring. It is also known to occur if a modern Weasel feels like they are 'hunting' ancient prey. I have seen this with Car Salesmen selling to small animals. Thus the 'War Dance' is nothing to worry about. In fact…_

* * *

Reggie kept going over the Addendum he had written. It sounded so academic, so scholarly, so not him. He needed to show the Chief that he wasn't just going to snap because of 'the dance', though Reggie did wonder if he would snap simply because of the stress of the job. As he sat at Snarlov's computer, reading his report as if on a movie screen, Reggie can't help but glance at the empty space across from him. It had been a week since Grizzoli had been shot. A week of little information other than 'Serious but Stable condition' about the veteran officer and no matter how much he interrogated Mary, she would not reveal any information. A week of no partner, and meeting with the Precinct Psychologist, going through the motions to get back in the field.

 _"_ _I don't have nightmares about the incident."_

 _"_ _I don't fear for my own safety."_

 _"_ _I don't fear that I won't be able to perform my duties."_

These were all true, but what Reggie wouldn't say is that there was something bothering him. He was afraid of his next possible engagement, but not for his own wellbeing. No he was concerned that he wouldn't hold back. That he would take some mammals life. It was only today that Reggie had been allowed back out in the field, and that was for Parking Duty. The one blessing Reggie considered out of the whole situation was that since he couldn't go out in the field he was on desk duty, and since he was on desk duty he didn't have to go to RollCall. This gave Reggie the chance to avoid a certain dynamic duo. Reggie noticed a change on how he was treated around the Precinct. While getting on Clawhauser's good side had loosened up some of the distaste towards Reggie, his actions with Grizzoli seemed to have made every officer his friend. No longer were their silent stares, but waves of recognition and smiles to go with them. Reggie knew that this could change at any moment, that he could jam his tail back into his mouth and be on the receiving end of the distain once more. So even though he found himself in good graces, he still acted like he was stepping on egg shells.

Another added benefit is that some of the officers talked with Reggie as well. Not simply for him to run down to records or to reach out to individuals or organizations as expected from some officer on desk duty, but actual conversations. It started with Clawhauser.

The Cheetah seemed to want to talk to Reggie whenever the Weasel had any free time. This meant that Reggie usually left the station later than he was planning too, but he could never hold it against the rotund feline. Whether it was about Gazelle, the mammals that walked through the door or even what rumors were floating about the Precinct, Clawhauser shared it with Reggie. In turn Reggie listened politely and learned more about his fellow officers' personal lives than he would have working with them for years. There was no doubt left in Reggie's mind; Clawhauser was a force to reckon with.

Next was Wolford, who seemed to have taken a personal challenge that Reggie didn't laugh at any of the grey wolf's jokes or stories from their earlier time together. The fact that the mustela had other matters on his mind seemed to have slipped the lupine's own. So everyday like clockwork, just after RollCall would let out, Wolford would stand in the doorway of the shared office and sling out as many jokes or tell his best stories. In return Reggie did his best not to laugh, not wanting to make it easy on the veteran officer.

Finally, and unexpectedly, Fangmeyer midway through the week started to converse with Reggie. Unlike with Clawhauser and Wolford, she only seemed interested in how he was doing. The Tiger seemed quite deft at dodging around personal questions, while also forcing the Weasel into answering some himself. It seemed like if this continued Fangmeyer would know his life story by the middle of the month. Still Reggie did his best to dodge.

When Reggie glanced at the wall mounted clock in the shared office, he noticed that it was past five. Deciding that the Addendum was good enough, Reggie hit the print button and went to fetch it from the printer. He then went to change back into his civilian clothes. Afterwards he went to drop off the paper at the Front desk to be given to the Chief tomorrow. As he approached the desk, he noticed a certain excited Cheetah bouncing around in his seat.

"Hey Clawhauser, what's up?" asked Reggie. It wasn't uncommon for Clawhauser to this jubilant, but never after three thirty. The feline's head swiveled and his eyes fixed onto the Weasel. A large smile played over the Cheetah's and Reggie immediately knew that something was up.

"Oh Reggie you're perfect!" said Clawhauser. How the Cheetah knew not only Reggie's first name, but his nickname the Weasel wasn't sure. Since the dispatcher greeted every officer, expect the Chief, on a first name basis Reggie figured it was par for the course.

Reggie's eyes narrowed "For what?"

The cheetah chuckled "Nothing bad silly! I just received word that Grizzoli can now take visitors!"

The Weasel's eyes widened "That's great news!"

Clawhauser nodded vigorously "Uh huh! I wanted to drop off the cards that were signed by everyone! But…" the cheetah started to look crestfallen "I'm working a double tonight and won't be able to make in time tonight to drop it off."

"I can take them." Reggie replied quickly. He had learned after an unfortunate event with a falling donut that the big cat's 'sad face' pulled at Reggie's heart and the Weasel tried to actively avoid it.

The feline once again lit up, his paws coming up to his cheeks and gave a look of wonder "You will?"

Reggie shrugged "Wasn't going to be doing anything later anyway."

A shrill squeal escaped the feline and Reggie couldn't help but cringe. "O.M. Goodness this is perfect!" started Clawhauser "here are the letters. It's just a few." Clawhauser then picked up a paper bag with handles and up and over the desk and placed it in front of the desk. Reggie couldn't help but stared slack jawed at how many cards and gifts where stuffed into the bag.

"Is this all of it?" Reggie asked, trying to hide the worry in his voice.

The feline chuckled "Of course it's not **ALL** of it, but I figured a small mammal like you could only take the lightest bag."

Reggie couldn't stop an involuntary swallow, but he was grateful enough that Clawhauser didn't give him the heaviest bag. Trying to figure how to lift a bag almost as tall as he was, Reggie eventually grabbed the handles and swung the bag across his shoulder and letting the bottom of the bag rest on his back. Feeling weighed down by his new load, Reggie started his trek towards the train.

"Take care!" The Weasel heard the Cheetah yell "don't hurt yourself!"

Reggie had a feeling that it may have already been too late for that last part, but he had a mission and damn if he wasn't going to compete it.

* * *

Reggie never considered himself a weak weasel. Through his habit of late night working out, to the training he went through at the Academy, Reggie knew that he had muscle. As Reggie left Precinct One with well wishes for Grizzoli, he was wondering if it would be worth it to take a cab. The stubborn mammal he was, Reggie talked himself out of it and started the arduous journey to the train station.

With each passing minute his muscles strained, his brow became wet from sweat and the bag dug into his back. When he eventually reached and boarded the train for Tundra Town, he felt a swelling of pride. He had accomplished his challenge and was home free! That is until he exited the train and realized that he now needed to make the arduous journey from the station to Tundra Town Regional Hospital. That he would have to journey through the cold, windy, wet Tundra Town streets.

Reggie hailed a cab for the rest of the journey.

* * *

After receiving some questioning, and amused, gazes from doctors and nurses alike, Reggie was finally able gain directions to Grizzoli's room. Even as he walked down the hall still a ways away from the Polar Bear's room, he could hear Grizzoli's laughter bouncing in the hallway. When Reggie reached the door, he placed the bag down, straightened out his now disheveled shirt, and rapped quickly on the door. There was pause in the laughter, the sound of muffled voices, then the tell tale sound heavy footsteps of a large mammal walking towards the door. The door swung open, and Reggie found himself looking at a large Brown Bear. The Ursine was easily as tall as Grizzoli, and just as massive. Unlike Grizzoli who to Reggie always seemed to smiling or chatting about something, the gaze of the new bear seemed to pin the Weasel in place. Reggie never thought brown eyes could be piercing, but right now he felt the bear's drill through his own.

"Can I help you?" asked the Brown Bear in a deep voice.

"Is Officer Grizzoli in there?" inquired Reggie, unable to see past the legs of the large ursine. The Brown Bear said nothing, still staring at the mustela.

"Is that Weaselton?" a familiar voice from the room asked. The Brown Bear turned around and nodded towards the room. "Tell that shifty weasel to get in here!" laughed Grizzoli.

The Brown Bear stooped down and picked up the bag next to Reggie with ease, stepping back into the room. Reggie followed close behind looking around the room as he entered. It was a simple room, a television mounted on the wall, some medical equipment beeping and spitting out information that Reggie had no idea what it meant. A small window showed the night snowfall on the opposite wall. In the center of the room was a night stand next to a massive bed and in that bed laid one Officer Grizzoli.

Reggie could see that while Grizzoli may have sounded fine, he looked far from it. Wearing a hospital gown, Reggie could see the gauze on the Polar Bear's left shoulder bulging out. While Grizzoli's eyes sparkled with the same amusement that Reggie knew from the patrols, the bags under them told how little sleep the ursine had been getting. There was also the faint smell of bile coming off the bear instead of the normal alcohol and fish combo.

"How you feeling?" Reggie inquired weakly. A thought popped into Reggie's mind at seeing such an imposing figure as Grizzoli propped up by the bed. The Polar Bear looked as if he could barely move drove home a point that Reggie didn't realize that he had been avoiding. They had been lucky. He had been lucky and if nothing else Reggie should be in a bed as well.

Grizzoli held up a paw and gave a 'so-so' wave with it. "I'm tired of being here, but the doctors say I gotta stay at least one more night." Reggie nodded; the Polar Bear couldn't be in too bad of shape if he was to be released. The Brown Bear now moved to the bed and placed the bag full of well wishes onto Grizzoli's lap.

"All for little old me?" joked Grizzoli "just a bullet wound, nothing to write about!" The Arctic Ursine then laughed at his own joke, slapping his paw onto his knee until the act caused an obvious shot of pain to run through him. "Ah damn. I keep forgetting not too move." The Brown Bear chuckled before crossing his arms.

"So what's the damage? Am I going to see you back in blue anytime soon?"Reggie asked. He was becoming more relaxed after seeing Grizzoli with his own eyes. Grizzoli chuckled, and then rubbed a paw on the back of his head.

"Sorry Weaselton. I'm out of commission for at least two weeks, and then…uh…I'm going on _vacation_ for a little while." The emphasis on 'vacation' wasn't lost on Reggie, and he knew what the Polar Bear was suggesting.

"Oh" Reggie replied, not completely sure what else to say.

Grizzoli nodded his head solemnly "It's been a long time coming. I need to do this." Even in his haggard appearance, Reggie could see the resolve in the veteran officer's eyes.

Reggie nodded and gave a small smile "Well then, I guess I'm on parking duty then."

Grizzoli coughed and then looked at the Brown Bear. The Brown Bear frowned "You can't be serious?" Grizzoli motioned his head towards the Weasel, and then stared the other ursine down with a blank expression. Finally the Brown Bear sighed and walked over to Reggie. With a paw outstretched, the bear spoke.

"Officer Gregor Snarlov. Apparently my partner over there wants me to look after you when I return."

Reggie recognized the name. Here stood the Snarlov of so many of Grizzoli's stories, the Gregor Snarlov that Reggie had written his reports on, and the one that had taken a recent 'vacation.' Reggie placed his paw in the massive Bear's.

"Reggie Weaselton." Snarlov nodded.

"I heard you saved my partner's life," started Snarlov, letting go of Reggie's paw "seems like he owes you."

Reggie shrugged "Just doing my job."

Snarlov snorted "You're a rookie. Your **JOB** is to learn from other officers, not pulling others fur from the fire." The Brown ursine turned back to the Arctic ursine laying in bed "Isn't that right Grizzoli?"

Grizzoli shifted slightly in bed, a defeated look on his face. Snarlov huffed then turned back to Reggie "He told me that he didn't have his triage kit on him. I am disappointed in his lack of foresight." Snarlov now leaned in towards Reggie, separating them by mere inches. "I hope you don't have that habit" Snarlov growled. Reggie shook his head slowly, his gaze never leaving the muzzle of the intimidating Bear. "Good," breathed Snarlov, as he straightened up and went to sit in a chair on the other side of the bed.

Reggie wanting to escape the gaze of the Brown Bear gave a quick wave and a 'good bye' before heading for the door. As he got to the door way, Grizzoli called out.

"Hey Weaselton!" Reggie turned around, looking towards the two bears once more. "Thanks," started Grizzoli "for saving me...I wouldn't be here without you." Reggie shrugged with a smile. "And Reggie?" The ursine taking a deep breath, then letting it out "the name's Alexander."

Reggie's smile grew, "I'll remember that." The Bear gave a toothy grin before Reggie exited the room, feeling lighter than he had the past two weeks.


	10. New Partner

**Hello everyone! Thank you for everyone letting me know that Chapter 7 was messed up. I was just able to get to it so now there shouldn't be any problems now. As a reward for letting me know I'm adding another chapter for this week. Criticism is always welcome and please feel free to review or PM me. Hope you enjoy!**

 **-CG**

* * *

It would be a week of parking duty before Snarlov was at RollCall. Reggie found the massive Brown Bear sitting in chair that the mustela considered his usual spot, so the Weasel simply sat in Grizzoli's vacant seat. The Brown Bear's uniform was pristine with his buttons and badge shining brightly, the complete opposite of Reggie's first day with Grizzoli. Snarlov didn't even acknowledge Reggie when he climbed into the overly large seat, and so the Weasel didn't acknowledge the veteran officer. He didn't believe there was any animosity between him and the ursine. It seemed to Reggie from his brief encounter with Snarlov that the older Bear simply spoke when he wanted too and nothing more. Their first meeting still stuck in Reggie's mind on how intimidating the officer next to him could be. A shiver ran thru the Weasel's body before he could repress it.

"Don't worry Weaselton, I'm not gonna eat you," came the voice of Snarlov. Reggie looked over to see the large Bear looking at him from the corner of his eye. "I am gonna teach you how to be a cop, so be ready."

Reggie frowned "Wasn't that the entire point of the Academy?"

Snarlov huffed "Only if you wanna end up dead. There's a reason why you're being partnered up with someone and not simply sent wandering the city." The ursine leaned towards the mustela "You got lucky. Now I'm gonna make you good." Reggie didn't respond. He had no idea what to say to the older bear. Just as the Bear leaned away, another voice came from Reggie's other side.

"Officer Weaselton" said a familiar female voice. Reggie turned to find himself staring down at one Officer Judy Hopps. Not too far behind her stood Officer Wilde, his arms crossed in a defensive manner. The tod had his trademark smirk in place, but red Fox's tail snapped in annoyance. Even with the tod's signature shades firmly in place, it was obvious to Reggie that the fox's attention was completely on the rabbit officer. There was a growing uncomfortable silence, Hopps waiting for Reggie to respond and Reggie puzzled by the duo.

"…Officer Hopps…Officer Wilde" Reggie finally said hesitantly. His last interaction with the two of them as well as the reaction from the Precinct because of it left Reggie cautious to converse with either one of them outside of necessity. Hopps stiffened, standing as tall as her frame would allow her, ears so erect that they could have swatted at Reggie's muzzle without much strain.

"I would like to say that you are an asset to the Precinct and a fine mammal" Hopps stated formally. Reggie was now completely baffled. The last thing he expected out of **EITHER** of the two officer's mouths was a complement. An attack on his mother and personal swears definitely. Maybe even another veiled threat, but complement never. To add to Reggie's thoughts was the smell that was coming off of the grey doe. It was once again the mixture of anger, fear, sadness but none of them on their own. His confusion must have been evident on his face, because he could see a smug grin started growing across the tod's muzzle.

"I think you broke him Carrots." Wilde stage whispered to the rabbit officer. The Fox officer leaned closer to one of the Rabbit officer's erect ear, a paw in front of his muzzle but a smug look in place matching the tone of his voice. Officer Hopps didn't respond to the tod.

"Thank you?" Reggie finally responded. He tried to hide his confusion, but his response still came out as a question. The Rabbit officer nodded to Reggie then turn and strode towards the front of the room where her and Wilde's seat was located. The Fox not too far behind, his hind paw claws clicking on the tiled floor and Reggie saw the fox shake his head and a quiet chuckle coming from the officer. It was only as they were leaving did Reggie realize how quiet it had become, and he now felt the eyes of all the officers in the room. A heavy breath came out behind his ear.

"Don't they hate you?" asked Snarlov in a whisper.

"I thought so." Reggie whispered back. The Brown Bear grunted before Reggie could hear movement behind him, Snarlov settling back into his seat. Eventually the silence was broken by the chief walking into the room, and the normal brouhaha commenced.

* * *

Snarlov and Reggie were assigned with one another, but since Snarlov was just coming back and Reggie was still new Chief Bogo gave them foot patrol in Savannah Central. From what he was able to learn from his talks with Clawhauser, Savannah Central was pretty low key compared to the rest of the city. Big time criminals unwilling to face the full wrath of Precinct One and Small time criminals not having much luck since the focus on the police was on them. It was a nice day out as well so Reggie didn't have a problem with the change of scenery. Also foot patrol meant no meter maid outfit, as Reggie learned promptly why other officers dreaded that work. Snarlov seemed to grumble at the assignment, but whether that was because of his personal feelings or his default setting the Weasel wasn't sure yet.

For the first several hours of their patrol neither officer said a word to each other. Both adjusting to the patrol route, as well as what entails being on foot which includes directions for tourists and interrupting petty squabbles before they became report worthy. Much of the focus was on Snarlov and considering the Bear's height and stature that did not surprise Reggie at all. There were some looks shot the Weasel's way as well, including one tourist group of rabbits who looked at him with suspicion. Reggie let the glares bounce off of him, even nodded at the group before looking away. This wasn't the first time he had been seen with antipathy even while in uniform and he knew it wouldn't be the last.

Eventually it was time for a break. Both officers not wanting to wait somewhere for lunch decided on a street vendor, and some hot hoppers later, Reggie and Snarlov found themselves sitting on a bench in a beautiful park. There were several trees strewn throughout giving off shade and green grass aplenty. Several bushes created a circle in the middle of the park. Mammals of all different types and professions seemed to be enjoying the nice day and the park and Reggie let out a contented sigh. As Reggie sat enjoying the site before him, he could feel Snarlov shifting on the bench next to him.

"Alright, time to get serious" said the veteran officer. Reggie turned to look at the Brown Bear, brow furrowed in confusion, only to find himself under the heavy gaze of the ursine.

"Isn't this serious?" Reggie asked with a frown, gesturing around them. Snarlov shook his head.

"Any mammal can patrol. We could pick up any tourist from the crowd, put them in blue, give them cuffs and tell them the route and they could do it. No I'm talking about how to be a _cop_."

Reggie's frown deepened, "You said the same thing at RollCall."

Snarlov nodded "Right. Now you're a meter maid who got lucky, and unlike when Hopps got lucky, you don't got City Hall at your beck and call."

"Not a high opinion of Officer Hopps?"

Snarlov shrugged "Any other officer shoots off their mouth about preds and they get fired the next day. They put her on a poster. I don't have anything against Hopps, but others still do. A lot of us almost lost our jobs during that time." Snarlov then stood up and stretched his legs "don't get me wrong, she's a great cop. Better than you'll ever be that's for sure, and she's been doing her best to make things up…"

"…but" Reggie added.

"…but not everyone is as forgiving as me." Snarlov finished. The ursine then shook his head and turned back to Reggie. "Which reminds me, fix things with Hopps and Wilde."

Reggie eyes narrowed "Why?" The Weasel had asked the question reflexively. After Hopps apparent comment at RollCall, Reggie figured he didn't have to worry anymore. Let everything stay the way it is and eventually mammals will forget.

Snarlov snorted "Really? Why? How about them being the favorites of Clawhauser, or the chief, or of every other day shift cop." Reggie's first week of pitfalls told him that much, as well as Wolford's not so veiled threat, but that still didn't explain why he needed to fix things. Snarlov continued to stare down Reggie, the mustela finding himself uncomfortable under the large mammals gaze.

"I just told you not everyone liked Hopps after the press conference. Wonder where all of them went?"

Reggie shook his head. Snarlov bent down to meet Reggie eye to eye.

"Neither do I, but I do know they aren't at Precinct One." The Bear continued to stare unblinkingly at Reggie. There was something unspoken by the veteran officer that the younger one was beginning to understand. Wilde and Hopps were protected, or at least it seemed that way. Whether from City Hall or from Bogo himself didn't matter, but if Reggie knew what was best he would make peace.

"I didn't think the Chief played favorites?" pushed Reggie. He needed to know more about what could happen, and if the Chief really did favor the dynamic duo then Reggie may find himself out of a job eventually. One of Snarlov's eyebrows rose.

"That old bull won't come out and say it, but he has favorites. All of them are _good cops._ " The emphasis of the last two words didn't go unnoticed by the Weasel, but another question arose. Why did Snarlov care if he stayed or not? Reggie surmised that it wasn't an appropriate question to ask on day one so he decided to ask another important one.

"How do I fix things then?" asked Reggie. Snarlov straightened up and shrugged his shoulders.

"Beat's me. You're not stupid Weaselton, you can figure something out." With that the Brown Bear started walking away, Reggie quickly removing himself from the bench and following close behind.

"Do you carry a baton on you?" Snarlov asked. Reggie shook his head. The Weasel and the rest of the cadets were taught how to use them with Riot gear. Considering that a Baton in the trunk of an elephant or in the paws of another large mammal might as well have been a tree in comparison to the mustela many officers didn't carry one.

"Well your gonna start carrying one now" said the Brown Bear "I heard you like using those claws of yours, and well that's just gonna get you into trouble one day." Reggie smirked at the Bear

"Worried I might break a claw?"

Snarlov huffed "In a suspect yes." Reggie blinked. He had never thought of it like that. A baton his size could do little damage, but his own paws could do much more. The Weasel knew he wouldn't always be struggling against larger mammals, and the more he considered the more Reggie started agreeing with the Bear.

Reggie nodded "Ok."

"Oh and one last thing," the ursine started "you and I are gonna start using the gym after our shifts."

"Think I'm not fit?"Reggie asked slightly insulted by the comment. He was in the best shape of his life, the Academy made sure of that.

"No, we are just gonna work out that anger issue you got in you." Snarlov said nonchalantly, continuing to walk out of the park. Reggie stopped dead in his tracks. Snarlov had met him twice, yet somehow knew about the mustela's short fuse. He guessed it shouldn't have shocked him all things considered, but still Reggie couldn't help but feel exposed by the veteran officer. The ursine stopped and turned his head towards the mustela.

"You can't hide anything from me Reggie, and I recommend not trying to either." Snarlov gave a dark, toothy grin before continuing to leave the park. Reggie stood rooted in place before reality caught up to him and he started to run after Snarlov.

 _"_ _What the fleas did I get myself into?"_


	11. Unburning A Bridge

**Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! Feel free to leave a review and criticism is always welcome.**

 **-CG**

* * *

Several days would pass since Reggie and Snarlov's first foot patrol, with Snarlov living up to his word. The Bear had cornered Reggie at the end of their first shift and marched the Weasel down to the armory to request a baton. It was a retractable baton that could be deployed with a push of a button. At full length it was ten inches long, but the material it was made from allowed it to be light and flexible. Apparently it had been created with a certain Rabbit officer in mind, but Hopps never requested it and so there it sat. This little tidbit of information rubbed the Weasel the wrong way feeling like he was getting unwanted scraps, but he kept that thought to himself.

Reggie hung it off his duty belt, but the baton would bounce off his leg and annoy him to no end when walking. On more than one occasion it extended from an accidental graze of the button leaving the Weasel off balance mid stride. Reggie also added a second triage kit to his belt as well, not wanting to repeat what happened to Grizzoli again. Reggie knew he was dense, but he wasn't stupid enough to tempt fate twice. With all this extra weight around him, and the continued assignment of Savannah Central foot patrol led to many tiresome days. Add to that a series of purse snatchings that started to happen along their patrol and Reggie was exhausted by end of day. However no matter how grueling the day had been, the Brown Bear would once again corner Reggie and they would both head to the large gym for Precinct One officers.

The gym had its own four lane quarter mile track, a boxing ring for sparring, treadmills for all different mammals, punching bags, free weights, everything that Reggie had seen in gyms before and some other machines that the Weasel only could guess how to use. Snarlov set them to a routine. First a mile running around the track, then free weight lifting, followed by an open workout which Reggie always used to do pull ups for and ending with a five minute sparring session between the two. Reggie thought the sparring was unfair at first. How could he be expected to take down a fully trained bear? Snarlov's rebuttal to the argument was well thought out.

 _"_ _Suck it up buttercup."_

While Reggie had knocked out a Rhino at the Academy to get into Precinct One, there was no question that fighting Snarlov was something completely different. The Brown Bear had the power of a mega fauna with hidden quickness. His paws were swift and precise, and had given Reggie more than one punch that sent him flying into the ropes. Reggie in turn was trying to figure out how to regularly take down his larger opponent. Snarlov did have some encouraging words of wisdom for the Weasel.

 _"_ _If you're gonna hit my knee then don't tickle it!"_

 _"_ _Really Weaselton is that all you got? How did you graduate again?"_

 _"_ _I thought Weasels were sneaky? I saw that coming a mile away!"_

Such encouraging words. After a brutal day of chasing down the purse snatcher, a weasel who tried to out weasel Reggie, the mustela opened the door to leave the locker room when head heard Snarlov arguing with some mammal.

"Come on Snarls! Come out and celebrate!" said a familiar voice.

"No." responded the deep baritone of the brown bear.

"It'll be just like old times."

"No."

"You have to enjoy life once in awhile."

"No."

Reggie walked out to find the large Brown Bear surrounded by Sergeant Higgins, Sergeant McHorn, Wolford and a lion that Reggie was not introduced too. The mustela was amused by the turn of events. Finally it was the Bear's turn to be cornered. Wolford noticed Reggie and his tail started to wag slightly.

"Weaselton! Just the mammal for the job!" said the enthusiastic grey wolf. Reggie couldn't help but chuckle at the scene in front of him. The two large mega fauna on either side of Snarlov had kept him stuck to the wall, while the two other officers stood in the bear's way to stop an escape.

"A perfect pit maneuver I see." Reggie said with a smirk. Wolford chuckled before gesturing to Reggie to come over.

"Get over here you Polecat and help us convince the scientific definition of a Grizzly to come out with us."

Reggie shook his head "Well he is horrible." The wolf burst out laughing while the other officers offered a chuckle. Snarlov simply stared at Reggie. If looks could kill, then the Bear's would have vaporized the Weasel on the spot.

"See! Weaselton gets it! Come on Snarlov let's turn that frown upside down!" Wolford started elbowing the Brown Bear in the gut playfully. Snarlov's gaze turned to the wolf, but after a pause he let out a defeated sigh and shook his head.

"Fine," the Bear started, before turning his gaze back to Reggie and pointing a claw at the Weasel, "but Weaselton's coming." Reggie stiffened, and started to slowly back away.

"Oh…no Snarlov…go hang with your friends. Don't let me get in the way of your fun." Reggie said starting to back away, hoping his meager attempt at an excuse enough to get him out of this predicament. Wolford had other plans.

"Of course he's coming. I even convinced some of the ladies to join up with us later. Trunkaby is going to drive them once her shifts over so they are just waiting on her." The wolf then walked over to the retreating Weasel and placed a paw on Reggie's shoulder, turning Reggie around, and pushing towards the exit. Wolford then spoke.

"I can feel it Weaselton! You are a party mammal!"

* * *

Reggie was not a party mammal. In fact if not for the piercing glare from Snarlov on his attempt to leave earlier Reggie would have found himself at home by now. Instead Reggie nursed a very foamy beer at a bar called O'Hare's with the apparent owner not having the last name of O'Hare or even being a Hare for that matter. The bar was an apparent favorite of Precinct One officers, why Reggie had no idea. It looked like any other run down dive. Old wooden bar with too high of stools for smaller patrons, grimy varnished tables for guests to sit at, plastic seated booths that could sit some of the largest mammals but gave difficulty for anyone under the size of a large cat.

Reggie had sat with the rest the larger officers at an empty booth. Listening as Wolford dominated the conversation with anecdotes, jokes and every now and then a serious comment. Higgins and the lion who Reggie would find out was Delgato joined in where they could, but McHorn and Snarlov remained silent. The two large officers nodded at the appropriate times during any story, but other than that they simply drank their drinks. Reggie found himself in a similar situation, though more because he had nothing to add.

When they arrived at the bar, it became apparent to Reggie why Snarlov didn't want to come out. An alcoholic being tempted in a bar setting would be too much to resist for most. The Brown Bear had whispered something to the waitress and seemed to be sipping on some soda concoction, though Reggie couldn't tell if it was either all soda or very little alcohol. He hoped for the Bear's sake only soda. If Wolford noticed or whether the smells from the bar were overwhelming the wolf's nose Reggie wasn't sure, but whenever Snarlov was getting low Wolford would always wave the waitress over to get him a refill. While it was with good intentions, Reggie could the Bear slightly stiffen each time it happened before relaxing once again. After an hour at the bar, the ladies in blue entered. Reggie could peak over the table enough to see a large elephant, who he guessed was Trunkaby, Fangmeyer and a she-wolf that Reggie didn't recognize.

With them Reggie also caught the familiar smell of one officer rabbit, more importantly an officer that Reggie continued to dodge. Giving a quick excuse about a bathroom visit, Reggie grabbed his drink and expertly evaded seeing Hopps, swiftly fled to the males' room. After several minutes of covertly staying in a stall, Reggie left the bathroom and sat at the bar farthest away from the officers in the booth, hoping to finish his drink and pay his tab before making a quick exit.

Reggie was downing the last of his drink, which tasted just as cheap as the glass it was in; when the smell of rabbit filled his nose once more. The Weasel tensed up, hoping that she was simply passing by. Hope continued to fail him.

"Excuse me, Officer Weaselton?" started Hopps, "may I join you?" Reggie choked on the last of his drink. He glanced to his right, fearing that how nervous he was may show. If Reggie looked nervous, then Hopps looked like the textbook definition of the feeling. Ears down, buck teeth biting her lower lip as both paws were clasped behind her back and hind paw twisted on the ground, her eyes shining with a cautious optimism. How could Reggie say no?

"Er…sure…I guess grab a stool." Reggie said, once again hesitant like their last meeting. Hopps gracefully jumped onto the stool in one fluid motion. Reggie wished that he could move that easily, instead of snaking his way up chairs and tables. The doe waved down the bartender and ordered some brand that Reggie didn't recognize and instead decided the best course of action was to stare at the empty glass in his paws. Eventually the Rabbit received her drink, took a large gulp from her appropriately sized glass before Reggie could hear her shuffling next to him.

"Officer Weaselton" Hopps said with certain firmness in her voice that Reggie was not expecting. The Weasel turned his head to look at the Rabbit officer, who turned her whole body towards him. She looked determined, and Reggie felt like he was a suspect that needed breaking.

"I would like to apologize for a certain event that happened roughly three years ago," the doe started, her eyes never leaving Reggie, "there was a lot riding on me and Officer Wilde gaining information from your uncle and the only way I could see him talking was by threatening him. I would have never let any harm come to him, but still I am very sorry for doing so." With that she nodded and stiffened, as if expecting Reggie to lash out and attack her.

For his part Reggie was stunned. Duke had told him about Hopps and Wilde threatening him during the Night Howlers case, but Reggie also reminded his uncle it was his own stupid fault. While Duke stated that if he knew the bulbs were being used to make predators go savage he wouldn't have committed the crime, Reggie also knew that his Uncle never saw a dollar he didn't agree with. The scent coming off of Hopps was the same from before. Anger, Anguish and Fear all morphed into one smell, and now looking at the Rabbit, Reggie realized what it was.

"Wait a second" said Reggie, trying to find the right words to use "you feel guilty…for threatening Duke?" Hopps gave a crisp nod. There was no question that she was learning from a certain fox officer how to hide her emotions, but now that Reggie really looked at her he could see how this was eating at her. The doe looked close to tears, even with keeping her face even. Her paws rested on her pant legs and were gripping onto the fabric desperately as if holding on for dear life.

Even with looking like this Reggie couldn't help but laugh. Up until Hopps compliment at RollCall, the Weasel expected every interaction with the duo to be short and curt. Well he expected Hopps to be so. He knew that Wilde would antagonize the mustela until he got the reaction the tod wanted. So for Hopps to apologize for an event that didn't even happen to Reggie, it was like all of the tension he had been feeling needed a release. That release was an uncontrollable fit of mirth that was starting to hurt Reggie's gut.

"So this whole time," Reggie said through fits of laughter "you've been guilty of that **THIS WHOLE TIME**!" The Weasel once again lost control and started laughing once again, clutching his sides as some tears slipped from his eyes. Reggie knew he must have looked insane, but the absurdity of the situation wasn't lost to him either. Here was Officer Judy Hopps, first Rabbit of the ZPD, 'Hero of Zootopia', one of if not the best officers in the best Precinct, feeling guilty about dealing with a Weaselton. Eventually his laughter died down, his head resting in his paws with his elbows resting on the bar. Reggie glanced over at Hopps, and the Rabbit looked angry. Pissed is a better way to describe it. He couldn't blame her. Something that had been eating away at her was now thrown in her face, and if her glare was any indication Reggie was lucky that he wasn't flat on the floor. Reggie put up his paws in front of him defensively, a grin still present on his muzzle.

"Ok, before you get too mad, just know that neither me nor Duke care about that thing with Mr. Big." Hopps gaze shifted from anger to confusion, her head tilting and nose twitching slightly.

"Why not?" she asked. Reggie couldn't stop his smile from growing.

"Do you know how many times Duke is threatened daily? Too many times. An incident with Mr. Big is memorable, but nothing to hold a grudge against."

"Besides" added Reggie with a shrug "Duke's a moron when it comes to taking jobs." Whatever Hopps had been expecting, Reggie's explanation was not one of them. One paw went to her forehead, her eyes closed in concentration.

"Hold on then," she started "why were you so hostile then on the first day?" Her brow furrowed and eyes opening again. Reggie's gaze shifted to the bar and he let out a sigh.

"Do you really want to know?"

The Weasel looked back at the Rabbit, the determined look back in her eyes "Yes."

Reggie rubbed the back of his head "It's silly." Hopps waved for him to continue.

"I was…jealous of you…" Reggie stated, looked back to his empty glass and realized how petty that sounded.

"Of me? What's there to be jealous of?" asked Hopps. Reggie gave her an incredulous look.

"I applied to the Academy three years ago. The same time you did. I was denied and later found out that a Rabbit not only passed, but became Valedictorian. Followed that up by said Rabbit solving two the biggest cases Zootopia has seen in a long time. Mix thoroughly and throw the officer's face plastered on every single training poster and you got one jealous Weasel wondering if that could have been him."

Reggie finished his rant and lowered his head. That's what this was all about. He wondered some nights at the Academy if he could have done the same as Hopps and solved the Missing Mammals and Nighthowler Case. He knew deep down that none of this was her fault. That even if they had let him in with her Reggie could never have beaten her numbers and probably would not have solved the cases. Still a Weasel can dream…

The musela saw the doe shrug "I never wanted any of it." That statement floored Reggie. She seemed to have everything going for her. There was no question that the grey doe was on the up and up. She would more than likely be Chief eventually, yet here she sat next to Reggie brushing off her accomplishments.

"I've wanted to be a cop since I was nine years old, and I have been working for that goal until I graduated. After that I wanted to make Zootopia a better place. That's still all I want." Hopps looked away shyly as she spoke, her ears which were pressed against the back of her head rising slightly. Reggie was stunned to silence. The doe looked back at the mustela.

"Have you always wanted to be a cop?" she asked innocently. A simple question, but one Reggie knew could bring up bad memories and stories that he was unwilling to tell.

"No" he said truthfully "not until I was fifteen."

"What changed?" asked Hopps.

"A friend of mine got hurt, and I decided that I didn't want any other mammal to get hurt." Reggie knew it was a half truth, but he didn't want to talk about this with Hopps. Even though he wasn't lying, the Weasel couldn't look at the doe when he spoke. He felt a paw on his shoulder. Reggie glanced back to see the paw of the grey doe resting on his shoulder, Hopps having a sympathetic smile.

"You don't have to explain. A…friend of mine…has problems talking about his past as well."

Reggie snorted. "Wouldn't happen to be a red fellow would he?"

The Rabbit's gave a mischievous smile "As a matter of fact…" Reggie laughed.

"Why did you decide to apologize now" Reggie inquired. If this had really been eating at her, she could have apologized to Duke or even done so earlier, so what changed? Hopps ran a paw over her cheek, lost in thought as Reggie waited patiently for an answer.

"I guess…I always thought that since he was a criminal that it was ok at the time. We needed to find out who was attacking predators and Nick and I didn't see another way. Afterwards I told myself that I wouldn't have allowed Duke to die, that it was just a bluff." Hopps met Reggie's gaze, and Reggie couldn't help but wonder if purple was normal color for Rabbit eyes or just another Hopps thing. "When I saw you that first day and you suggested you knew me…it made me realize how badly that event could have gone."

"It didn't though. So no harm, no foul" Reggie responded. Her response didn't answer his question completely though. "So why now?"

Hopps frowned "Honestly because Nick's not here. He for some reason has been against me apologizing to you. We talked about it a couple times, and when Wolford texted us and said you came out with the rest of the officers I knew this was my opportunity." Reggie rolled his eyes. Of course the Fox would be against an apology. Reggie would have bet that if it was up to the tod Hopps probably wouldn't be here either. Another question came to the mustela's mind.

"So where is that vulpine trickster?" asked Reggie, from what Clawhauser had told the Weasel the two were rarely separated. The feline had told Reggie some of the rumors about their relationship outside of work, but the mustela simply tuned out any information about the doe and tod. At the time the less he knew, the easier it was for Reggie to hold onto his petty grudge.

"Oh um, he's doing something with his family…yep," Hopps responded, waving a paw flippantly in the air. Reggie's eyes narrowed. He didn't need to smell a lie to know when one was being told.

"You have no idea where he is, do you?"

The Rabbit let out a heavy sigh and rested her head on the bar "No…"

Reggie shrugged "Ok." Hopps turned her head and looked at Reggie with a furrowed brow.

"Ok?"

"Yeah," Reggie responded, "He's a grown mammal. He can do whatever he wants to."

 _"_ _Not that I want to see ears or tail of him."_

Hopps sighed again "I know he can take care of himself, but when he does stuff like this and doesn't tell me where he's going I can't help but worry." Reggie found this amusing.

"You're worried about Wilde?"

"Yes."

"Nick Wilde."

"Yes."

"Former Con Artist turned first Fox cop Nick Wilde."

"YES! Is that really so hard to believe?"

Reggie shrugged again "Yeah." The grey doe's mouth fell agape. Reggie swore he saw one of her brows twitch.

"WHAT!?" Hopps exploded. Reggie flinched but smiled.

"This is Nick Wilde. Have you heard of some of the stuff he's done? That fox's a legend on the streets. Fleas he's probably owed more favors than mammals to give them out. Why I know that-he didn't tell you any of this, did he?" As Reggie talked, he realized he made a mistake. The doe had turned away from the Weasel. Her ears were down, one paw holding onto her other arm and gaze at the wooden bar. She looked the definition of miserable. He cursed himself for opening is mouth again. Hopps shook her head slightly then glanced back at Reggie.

"He's told me some stories, but like I said he has problems talking about his past." Reggie couldn't help but grimace, without realizing it he had hit a sore spot. He couldn't help but remember one of the first things he said to the fox officer.

 _"_ _Most want you dead honestly, too many secrets with a cop now."_

Hopps would have heard it with those radar dishes she calls ears, and of course the fox wouldn't explain anything. Reggie logically knew this wasn't his fault. He knew that if the tod had talked to Hopps more than she wouldn't be so worried about him. He also knew that the sight of such a down trodden Rabbit was pulling at his conscious to try and fix this somehow.

"Hey uh…Hopps," Reggie started. The Rabbit officer turned her full attention back towards the Weasel, with the miserable look still present. "I wanted to-" Reggie cleared his throat "-to apologize for what I said the first day about Wilde." Reggie then sighed "To my knowledge no one wants Wilde dead."

There was a split second of confusion that passed over Hopps face before understanding. She looked down at the floor. "Thank you" the doe responded quietly. Reggie barely heard it. He then nodded and turned back to his glass. The mess up that was his first day may have caused more ripples than he expected, and he hoped that this was the last of them. Still the Weasel felt like he should make it up to the Rabbit in some way.

"Well Hopps, I do believe I owe you a drink," started Reggie, the rabbit's ears perking up as she looked at him "I was a self righteous a-hole and you didn't deserve it."

Hopps giggled "I can drink to that!"

Reggie waved the bartender over and ordered another round for both of them. After their drinks came, he lifted his glass towards Hopps. "To better starts."

Hopps raised her glass and tapped it on Reggie's "To new beginnings."

Just like that Reggie felt any leftover animosity towards the Rabbit dissipate. He realized how foolish he was, and how he could have handled the situation better. The Weasel knew everything wasn't fixed. There would be questions later about why he didn't want to fix things with a certain tod. Why Reggie has a grudge against the fox officer. That was for another time and another day. Instead he decided to enjoy the night. The officers both drank deeply from the glasses before putting them back onto the bar.

"Now!" Reggie started "how did a country bunny like you wander into the big city?"


	12. Familial Past

_Reggie found himself back in the alleyway. The rain pounding through the trees as the only light came from a streetlamp on a nearby corner and the flashes of lightening up above. He was completely soaked, his dark feeling like weights on his body. Reggie was trying desperately to stay the bleeding of grey Ferret in his arms. His right paw pressed on the wound applying pressure, while his left arm supported the Ferret's head. Her blue eyes never wavered its gaze from Reggie, but the Weasel's eyes danced around her form. The stab wound to her abdomen wouldn't stop and the Weasel was lost in what to do. If help didn't come soon she wouldn't make it, but he couldn't leave her to try and find someone or she would surely die. The Ferret reached out a paw, brought it to Reggie's cheek and placed it gently._

 _"_ _It'll be ok Crystal! I'm here" Reggie heard himself speak, but the words didn't seem to come from his own mouth. He relished the feel of her paw on his cheek, but even then he could feel the warmth leaving her body. She needed him and he couldn't let her down. Reggie promised to protect her, to keep the Ferret from harm. The Weasel had always found a way to accomplish that promise, but this was different. He heard his own shouts for help bouncing off the walls of the alleyway and into the abandoned streets._

 _"_ _HELP! HELP!"_

 _Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Every second felt like days and minutes felt like an eternity. Still the Ferret began to stroke Reggie's cheek, as he saw tears appearing in her eyes. Her lips started to move as she tried to speak. "Don't say anything. Save your strength!" Reggie could feel his own tears spilling out. It felt like his very soul was being ripped apart. He wanted to look away desperately, but couldn't bring himself to do so. She needed him and he wouldn't abandon her. Finally Crytstal smiled and spoke._

 _"_ _Reg…gie…" then her eyes closed all the tension in her body gone. Her paw fell from his cheek as her arm went limp. Her head fell back against Reggie's arm. Frantically Reggie began to shake her, hoping to for the Ferret to once again open her eyes, just for her to hang on a little while longer._

 _"_ _NO! NO! CRYSTAL! NO!" Reggie could once again hear the words, and feel his throat growing hoarse from screaming, yet he did not feel the words leave his mouth. Still his voice continued to echo._

 _"_ _HELP! HELP!"_

* * *

Reggie woke in his bed with a start. He expected to still be soaked from the rain. He expected his paw to still be covered in her blood. The dream had been too real, and while the nightmare wasn't anything new to him, this was different. He could feel his entire body shaking, and something wet was on his face. The Weasel reached up a paw to feel his cheek, and found it soaked with tears still streaming down his face. Reggie swung his hind paws to the side of the bed, and held the sides of his head with both paws. His body continued to shake as a sob left him. The mustela closed his eyes as more tears started to spill out. Reggie stayed that way until the tears stopped and the shaking subsided. He turned to look at the clock through blurred vision. It read 3:42 am. It was still the same night at the bar and he had only managed to get five hours of sleep. It was too early to leave the apartment, and all the recent training with Snarlov left him too drained to perform his nightly workout. So Reggie laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes once more. Hoping that no more dreams would come, Reggie started to drift once more to sleep.

* * *

Thankfully Reggie had off. The Weasel woke up to the sun shining through his window. The small dreary apartment starting to become stuffy from the heat emanating from outside, Reggie slowly came back to consciousness and stretched out on his bed. Glancing at his clock which read 10:18 am, the mustela was relieved that he was able to have a few hours more of sleep. Reggie also found himself in a rare situation where he had actual plans today. Granted it was simply having dinner with his aunt and uncle, but he hadn't really talked to them since before the academy. He also hoped that Mary would be able to join them as well. While they had phone conversations weekly, it would still be nice to see her.

The day passed without incident. Reggie simply went about doing the different chores that needed to be done. Laundry at the communal wash room always was difficult, but he found that being patient usually led to an open washer. As his clothes were washing, Reggie ran to local grocery store. A small predator heavy store owned and operated by a fennec fox family. There was the usual exchange of pleasantries as Reggie went about his day, buying some pre-made meals.

Eventually time passed and all the chores that needed doing were done. Reggie jumped in his shower to take a quick, and cold, shower before heading off. Duke and Duchess' place wasn't too far away, only six blocks. With the sun out and no shade around, walking six blocks could feel like torture in the Sahara Square. So Reggie headed out as the sun was setting and the shadows from the buildings stretched across the streets. It was still hot, but the shade allowed for mammals like Reggie who were not desert born t walk about. In no time at all he was standing outside of his Aunt and Uncle's apartment complex.

The building was just like the rest of the poorer section of Sahara Square. Cheap bricks with plaster slapped onto the sides of the building were painted a bright yellow. A rusted fire escape snaked down from the roof on the alleyway side of the building, looking to Reggie that it hadn't been up to code for decades. The steps leading to the front door had pieces of concrete missing, and the door itself had its paint peeling off. Still Duke and Duchess never talked about moving from the dilapidated building and Reggie never pushed it.

The mustela passed through the same drab hallway that hadn't changed since his youth and ascended the stairs to the fourth floor, Reggie couldn't help but wonder if the building would ever change. T he Weasel stopped in front of an eggshell blue door that looked slightly better than the rest of the hallway. He knocked on the door twice and waited. Just like clockwork he could hear his Aunt and Uncle.

"Is dat Reggie?" asked the shrill voice of Duchess.

"How should I knows?" responded Duke.

"Well look?"

"Why shoulds I?"

"Cause if it's Reggie he's waitin'!"

"You's closer!"

"I'm cookin'!"

"Cookin' what? Poisen!?"

Reggie knew that left unchecked this argument would continue for hours. So instead he tried the door knob, and found that one of them had left it unlocked. He turned the knob and walked right in. What greeted him was a very brown room. Brown fake wooden walls, an off colored brown rug lining the floor and a light brown couch and love seat combo sitting in front of an old television that was perched on an old wooden coffee table. The mustela couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his muzzle. The apartment had always been an eyesore, and being away from it for so long dulled the memory of how bad it actually was.

Reggie stepped through the door way and glanced left at the couch and love seat, where is Uncle was sprawled out on the smaller of the two. His paws resting on one side of the love seat and his head resting on the other, Duke looked the dictionary definition of comfortable. Add to that his sleeveless white shirt and dark blue shorts, and a mammal could be forgiven to think that the older Weasel just got up. Duke stood and headed over to Reggie, his eyes not leaving the television until he was standing right in front of Reggie. Then he turned his gaze and gave a crooked smile.

"Glad you here" Duke said, holding out a paw for Reggie to shake. Reggie accepted it and gave a quick shake before both Weasels headed over to sit in front of the television. Some news program was on that Reggie couldn't care less about, his mind wandering.

" _It's like I never left."_

Reggie hadn't seen his Aunt and Uncle in so long he was worried about how they would react. Granted Duke's first reaction to being confronted about Reggie being a cop was still in the back of the young Weasel's mind. As they sat watching the television though, Reggie couldn't but feel at home. Working odd jobs since being rejected the first time from the Academy Reggie was able to save up enough for his apartment and thrift shop furniture. He had been able to have everything moved in after putting the safety deposit down, but didn't move in officially until after graduating. Still it was his place, and eventually he would feel comfortable there.

"Oh Reggie!" the voice of his Aunt cried. She came strutting over, paws spread wide for the hug that they both knew was inevitable. Reggie stood up and allowed himself to be enveloped by Duchess. Unlike Duke, Duchess was a bit of an eccentric. While Duke went for comfort and simplicity for his clothing, Duchess went for color and overabundance. She was wearing what Reggie would almost guess was a poncho from the size of the sleeves, with vibrant blues, greens and reds playing throughout. Both of her wrists were loaded with what Reggie knew to be fake gold bracelets and large fake pearl earrings dawned both of her ears.

"I missed you's so much my little nephew!" Duchess said, hugging Reggie with all her might. Reggie couldn't help but snort at that. His Aunt came up to just below his neck. He tried to tell her in the past not to call him 'little', but it just seemed to invigorate her to say it more.

"I missed you too Duchess" Reggie replied. As much as he wouldn't admit how much he did, he really did miss his family. "Will Mare be joining us?"

Duchess finally let go of Reggie "She'll be here soon." She then started squeezing Reggie's arms "My you grown haven't ya?"

Reggie shrugged at his Aunt "I think so." Duchess let go of Reggie and walked back towards the kitchen. Similar to his own apartment, there was no space separating the kitchen from the rest of the apartment. Unlike his apartment, there was enough room for a small round table with four chairs surrounding it.

"I'm makin' my Cricket Stew so's be ready Regg!" Duchess shouted, continuing her way to a pot boiling on the stove.

Reggie's eyes narrowed "Didn't we all get sick from it last time." Four weasels fighting over the toilet was not a fond memory the mustela had. Reggie heard Duke cackle behind him.

"I says it was poisen!"

"I don't wanna hear it!" Duchess shouted back.

Reggie found himself standing in the middle of his bickering Aunt and Uncle. Shaking his head, Reggie walked towards the hallway that connected four rooms and the bathroom to the rest of the apartment. Lining the walls were pictures. Many from Duke and Duchess's youth, with his father present in them as well. Some were of Reggie's childhood, though most of them were before he turned ten. Pictures of Mary were on the wall as well, including her proudly standing in a cap and gown after she graduated High School. Reggie didn't have the money to pay for any of that, so he skipped his own graduation. What little he did have went towards him taking the first entrance exam for the Academy.

Reggie settled on a picture when he was nine. His parents had taken him and Mary to the Canal district to swim in the shallows. They were standing on the edge of the water, sand between their toes and the blue water reflecting in the background. Mary in a tiny white and pink polka dotted one piece holding onto his mother's leg. His mother was wearing an all white piece herself with her long tail just peaking out behind her shoulder, the black tip reminiscent of his own. Reggie was standing next to his father, both of them in matching blue and green swim trunks. Nine year old Reggie was looking up at his father, who had his arm around him. His father and Mary looking directly at the camera while his mother looked down at Mary, and if any mammal passing by would have looked at this photo they would have thought it was perfect.

What they wouldn't know is that the lessons his father was teaching Reggie had reached its second year. That his father was starting to find solace more and more in drinking and smoking. That Reggie had seen his mother crying at night at their kitchen table and wouldn't understand why until several months later. If anything the picture didn't show the perfect family, but one right on the edge of deteriorating. Reggie's gaze eventually focused on his own reflection, on how much him and his father looked alike.

" _We share more than our tempers…"_

He always considered Mary lucky. His sister looked like their mother in features, including as set of brown eyes to match. Reggie's black came from his father. His sister also had their mother's patience and caring personality. Both his mother and sister were nurturers. That's the reason Reggie believed she started trying to take care of his injuries and what eventually led her to become a nurse. While the Weasel heard the sound of the door opening and closing, and chatter from a different voice, Reggie didn't react until he felt a paw push his shoulder. Glancing over, Reggie saw Mary standing next to him, looking tired and still in scrubs.

"Bout time you came by" Mary teased. Unlike Duke and Duchess, Mary would call or text Reggie throughout the week bugging him to come around. He may have been a year older than her, but Reggie always felt like a kit with Mary.

"I would have come over sooner Mare, but work is killer" Reggie responded "you know that feeling."

Mary let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes "You aren't that far away, and I know you don't have a social life." Reggie turned back to his sister.

"I definitely have a social life."

"Really?" Mary retorted folding her arms.

"Really" replied Reggie with a nod of his head "just yesterday I went out with some co-workers to grab drinks after work." The fact that he was dragged out by his tail was not something that Mary needed to know.

"Oooo Look at you Mr. Social!" Mary exclaimed sarcastically "any lady cops that catch your fancy." Mary then started elbowing Reggie in the gut while winking nonstop. Reggie snorted at the idea.

"Ninety percent of my co-workers could step on me and not even notice. My chances for a work place romance are nonexistent."

 _"_ _Not that it matters."_

Reggie didn't like going out on dates. He had tried before and found that he was terrible at small talk. Also his lack of experience early in life compounded the issue by making him feel self-conscious about asking a female out. Besides, Reggie didn't want to hook up with someone and play grab-tail. When the thought of grabbing a tail came into the Weasel's mind, the image of a certain gray and black striped tail appeared. Giving his head a quick shake, Reggie tried to push the thought away before Mary caught on. He then turned back to the picture.

"That was a great day" Mary said, Reggie could feel her lean her head against his shoulder "it's the last memory I have of you smiling before dad died." Reggie tensed up. This was not a conversation he was about to have with Mary, he needed to deflect quickly.

"You tend to stop smiling when you join a gang Mare" Reggie said, turning to look at his sister "though I definitely smiled after that day."

"I wouldn't know" Mary retorted, her paws landing on her hips, "you wouldn't come around for days, sometimes weeks!" Reggie waved a paw at her.

"I took care of myself. That's all." The expression on Mary's face changed from a playful frown and deepened into a serious look. Reggie could see the gears in Mary's head turning. She had something on her mind.

"Regg…you know you can tell me anything right"

"Of course!" Reggie quickly lied. One that he had told her many times before, one more time wouldn't hurt. "What do you think I'm not telling you?" His sister gave a shrug and looked away.

"I don't know…but sometimes I feel like you're holding back. Like I should know something, but I don't" Mary then turned back to Reggie "maybe it's nothing, maybe it's something." Reggie frowned, but quickly turned it into a smile. The male mustela sometimes forgot how smart his sister was. Reggie and his mother always did their best to shield Mary from what was happening with Rick, but maybe he should tell her.

 _"_ _No…there's no reason."_

Instead Reggie turned towards his sister and hugged her. "Don't worry Mare. I'm a big weasel now, but if something ever bothers me I'll let you know." The male weasel felt Mary's arms wrap around him and return the hug. "Now then sister of mine I'm starting to get hungry."

Mary giggled "Then let's go eat! No reason to wait for the food to go cold!" Mary exclaimed happily. Reggie chuckled and shook his head.

"Didn't know you were a fan of Dutch's cooking?"

"Oh I'm not" Mary replied "I got us Bugburger instead." Reggie couldn't help but laugh at this.

"Have I told you I loved you recently Mare?"

"Yes, but you could tell me more often." With that the two mustela's made their way to the table. Reggie feeling lighter now than in the last year, and reminding himself to come to family dinner's more often.

* * *

 **The idea of Duchess I will admit to stealing from Kittah4 and the Partner Series. I believe i have made this Duchess more closer to my own, but admit that the idea was nowhere near originally mine. Criticism is always welcome.**

 **-CG**


	13. Better

It had been a month since the first Weaselton dinner, and Reggie did his best to make weekly visits. Mary had been right about how close Reggie was, and he felt slightly guilty for not visiting earlier. There was still the problem of Duke selling bootlegs and the gray area of Duchess selling knock off brand purses. She advertised them as knock offs so legally she was fine, but still Reggie always felt uncomfortable about when either talked about how the day had gone for them. There is no question that his aunt and uncle would never be rich from their "business dealings" but the law is the law. While Reggie could overlook it at the dinner table, he may not get that chance if he ran into them on the street. After another week of foot patrol the Chief decided that Snarlov was up to par and allowed the Bear and Reggie to take over the patrol route on the border of Rainforest and Tundratown. Once again Reggie found himself in a cruiser too large for his size, but this time he wasn't simply sitting about. Snarlov decided that the Weasel needed to keep an eye on the streets and instructed Reggie to do just that. This meant that Reggie was standing on the armrest of his door looking out the window on their patrols now. So instead of sitting for eight hours, he was standing for eight hours. Still he never complained to his partner, Reggie had an idea of what the Brown Bear would say about the mustela's complaints.

After the first week of standing, and his baton continuously hitting him in the leg with each pothole, Reggie finally figured out how to keep the annoying contraption on him and not be a bother. The baton was just wide enough that it could fit snuggly into the belt loops of his uniform pants. This allowed the Weasel to tuck it into the back of his pants and with a little angling of his duty belt Reggie could quickly pull out the baton from its hidden location. It was a small victory that Reggie thoroughly enjoyed. As they were continuing on their patrol in the Rainforest, Reggie making mental notes on their location with each passing landmark, when the Weasel spotted three mammals standing on a corner. It didn't take a detective to see that one of the mammals was shouting at another. It was three Cape Buffalos, just like the Chief, one a bull, the other a cow, and a kit holding onto the cow's dress.

"Hey Snarlov, I think I got something" Reggie said. He felt the cruiser start pulling up closer to the Buffalos leading Reggie to believe his partner saw the same thing. Both mammals exited the cruiser and headed towards the obvious argument. It wasn't raining, but a light mist was floating through the air. Reggie couldn't make out what was being said, but the bull was shouting at the cow and the cow was holding onto dear life on the kit attached to her.

"-his father! You can't keep me away!" Reggie finally heard from the bull.

 _"_ _A domestic dispute…"_

Reggie never liked getting involved in these squabble, nine times out of ten in his mind they could be settled if both sides calmed down. The Weasel was having a hunch that this may be one of those ten and approached with caution.

"Head towards the mother and kit, I'll talk to the bull." Reggie heard Snarlov say in a low voice. The Weasel was right next to the Brown Bear's leg taking three steps for everyone one of the ursine's. Reggie nodded, but not sure if his partner was looking his way. He walked to the pair as Snarlov advanced in a calm voice.

"Sir, I need you to calm down and talk with me." Reggie heard the bear say. He moved in front of the cow and waved at her.

"Excuse me ma'am," Reggie started, the cow's eyes darting to the Weasel officer. He could see the fear in the eyes and the mustela stole a glance at the kit. Even though the kit was larger than he was already, Reggie surmised that the age of the calf was possibly five maybe six. The kit was burying his face into his mother's side and Reggie could see a damp trail of tears heading down the calf's face. "May I ask what the problem is?" Reggie questioned.

The cow's eyes darted back to the behind Reggie where the officer could hear Snarlov and the bull talking loudly then back onto him. "He's not supposed to be here" the cow said in a low tone, her eyes saucers and her body starting to tremble.

"Ok, miss…?"

"Kaap, Koei Kaap."

"Miss Kaap," started Reggie, "are you in a relationship or have you ever been with the gentlemammal?"

The cow snorted "He used to be my husband, but we are divorced." She seemed to be calming down slightly, though her eyes were still darting past Reggie. The talking behind him was now in a much lower tone and Reggie hoped that this could be settled peacefully.

"You mentioned he shouldn't be here? Is there a reason Miss Kaap?" The cow's eyes once again shifted to behind Reggie.

"I have a restraining order on him. He has to stay a hundred yards away from us. He used to-" before Miss Kaap could finish her sentence, Reggie heard a sudden scuffle behind him. Eyes widening on both his and the cow's face, Reggie's paw moved towards his tranq pistol.

"Move!" Reggie ordered, swiping his free paw in front of him while he pulled out his pistol. The cow deftly lifted up her kit and started to flee down the sidewalk. Reggie turned around quickly, eyes widening and a broad grin working its way on his face, Reggie felt the adrenaline in his body start to pump through his veins. Bringing his sidearm to bear, Reggie started to aim-

-when he felt a hoof close around his throat and lift him off the ground. The bull had bested Snarlov as he caught a glance of his Bear partner trying to rise from off the ground. Now Reggie found himself being choked out by the enraged Cape Buffalo. Trying to focus, Reggie brought his sidearm up and tried to pull the trigger, only for the free hoof of the bull to close around the gun and yank it out of the Weasel's paw. Reggie heard it clatter against the sidewalk. The mustela dug his claws desperately into the wrist of the bull, stabbing continuously in order to gain his release. Instead the Buffalo gave a sadistic grin and brought the Weasel closer to his snout.

"No one is keeping me from my family," the bull started, squeezing harder around Reggie's throat "not even the Z.P.D."

A dark ring started to appear on the edges of Reggie's vision, slowly moving towards the center. Gasping for air, Reggie was finding it harder and harder to lift his paws. Eventually he couldn't lift them any longer and his vision started to fade.

 _"_ _This is it…"_

Reggie hoped that his family would be ok and closed his eyes as he felt the hot sting of tears. He was about to pass out when he heard something. A sound that shook his entire body and ignited old instinctual fears in the young officer. A sound like the ground underneath the mustela had cracked open and would swallow him whole. Reggie found himself falling. Eyes still closed but air finally filling his lungs, the Weasel felt his body hit the sidewalk. It had taken him a moment to open his eyes once more, and when he did he saw Snarlov.

With strength that Reggie should have suspected but had never seen, Snarlov had lifted the bull off the ground with his left arm wrapped around the neck of the mammal and his right underneath the right arm of the bull. The Buffalo tried to move, hooves kicking and flailing uselessly in the air, but was unable to break the Bear's hold. Slowly the struggling bull went limp, and Snarlov let the mammal go. The bull fell forward, his snout smashing into the sidewalk. The Brown Bear was panting, but before Reggie could say anything Snarlov let loose a ferocious roar at the unconscious mammal. The roar shook the ground as the Bears lower jaw seemed to unhinge. Calming down, the Bear spoke.

"You alright Weaselton?" asked Snarlov, the ursine's gaze still remained on the Cape Buffalo. Reggie tried to respond, but found his throat sore and his voice temporarily lost. The Weasel gave nod before moving slowly to his knees.

* * *

Snarlov had called for a different cruiser to come pick the bull up. Apparently "Mr. Buffel" was reported to have broken the restraining order several times, but the police were never around fast enough to verify. Adding the restraining order, resisting arrest and assault on two officers and the bull was looking at jail time. Snarlov didn't look at Reggie and for the most part didn't speak to him. After cuffing the unconscious bull, the Brown Bear walked down the block to try and find Miss Kaap. He did find the cow and calf, and got her statement. Reggie eventually got back on his paws and located his tranq pistol. Other than a couple marks the weapon seemed to be in order. He would need to hand it over to the armory to verify it, and with that would come paperwork. A Precinct Seven cruiser eventually arrived, and a hippo and male tiger lifted the still passed out Cape Buffalo into the back of their cruiser. Even though the bull may be sitting in their lock up, Reggie knew he and Snarlov would have to do the paperwork. The Brown Bear radioed to Clawhauser and let the dispatcher know that, even though Reggie protested noiselessly the entire time, they were going to the hospital. Instead of heading to Rainforest Regional, Snarlov drove them to Savannah Central Hospital instead.

Once again without addressing the Weasel unless necessary, Snarlov spoke with the emergency room doctor who looked over Reggie and explained everything that happened. While there didn't seem to be any permanent damage, the doctor did inform Reggie that it may be difficult to speak for the next few days. He was advised to take it easy and rest his throat. Reggie nodded to the doctor's instructions, but internally rolled his eyes.

 _"_ _A sore throat isn't going to stop me."_

Snarlov drove them back to Precinct One. The entire time in silence with the Brown Bear only looking forward and no discernible emotion on his face. Reggie was starting to worry that he screwed up. He started to go over every scrap of knowledge on police procedure he could remember, but could not for the life of him figure out where he messed up. So Reggie spent the remainder of their trip staring out the window, his paw rubbing from his throat to the tip of his muzzle slowly. The Weasel was exhausted. When they finally arrived at the parking garage, Reggie found his arms too tired to push the door, so instead he climbed over the divide between the two seats and exited out Snarlov's door. The Bear seemed to expect this as he held the door open for longer than usual and Reggie noted that his partner's gaze was following him as he climbed out. Reggie and Snarlov first went to the armory to drop off his tranq pistol. Reggie handing it over and taking the paperwork, Snarlov explained the situation to the grizzled brown timber wolf behind the paned glass window that led to the Precinct One's weaponry. As they walked back to their shared office space, Reggie was starting to become concerned. If Snarlov was angry with the Weasel the Bear always let Reggie know. That was the one thing that always infuriated the mustela during their training. This silence though felt worse. As if Snarlov wasn't even considering the Weasel anymore. As if Reggie had messed up huge.

They continued to sit in silence as Reggie filled in the requisition form from the armory and Snarlov typed up the report. The Weasel couldn't help but glance up hoping to see the Bear, but instead found the large computer monitor of Grizzoli's each time. Still the tapping continued as time seemed to slow to a crawl. Reggie finished filling out the form and headed to the front desk to drop it off. Clawhauser tried to talk to him, but Reggie motioned to his throat the shook his head to try to explain to the Cheetah that he couldn't speak. The dispatcher gave him an understanding look before shooing him to the locker room. As the Weasel walked to the locker room, his body moving on autopilot, the mustela kept going over the event in his mind. Over and over again, hoping to figure out where he could do better in the future. Eventually Reggie determined that the only thing he can do is become better. If he was faster he would have avoided the hoof. If he was wiser he would have moved forward first to gain some ground before turning. If he was a good cop he would have never turned his back on a suspect, even with his partner behind him. There was no doubt now, no question about what Snarlov had told him on their first day together. Reggie needed to get good.

Reggie slowly got changed into his workout outfit. Not only his throat, but the rest of his body felt bruised from the landing. The Weasel slipped on a pair of sweat pants and a blue ZPD t-shirt. As he finished up, the mustela heard the door to the locker open and close. The footfalls of a large mammal echoing in the nearly abandoned room, Reggie walked over to Snarlov's locker to see if the Bear was there. What Reggie found instead wasn't his partner, but a Bear who had taken his place and was staring at Snarlov's locker.

Instead of the confident and massive Brown Bear who worked him to the bone, there was a Bear officer who looked like the world collapsed around him. No longer was the intense stare of Snarlov boring holes into concrete, but instead a pained look that softened the eyes to mud. This was not the officer who had taken down the bull earlier today, but an officer who looked like he had seen the worst of the city and only watched as it burned. Reggie felt that he needed to do something. He approached the Bear and tried to speak, finding his throat to sore, the Weasel pressed a paw on his throat and tried once more.

"Hey" Reggie finally said in a soft, hoarse voice. If the mustela didn't know better he would have assumed some other mammal spoke. Snarlov glanced at Reggie before his eyes settled back onto his locker.

"Hey" Snarlov responded. Reggie walked in front of the Bear and waved a paw at him.

"What?" Reggie asked. Getting out singular words was difficult enough; full sentences would be a miracle. Snarlov shifted in front of the Weasel, sighed then hung his head.

"Did Grizzoli ever tell you about _why_ we both ended up needing a break?" The gaze of the Brown Bear solely on Reggie, to the mustela it seemed that his partner's eyes were almost pleading that he already knew the story. Reggie shook his head to the question. Snarlov snorted in annoyance.

"Of Course Alex didn't….useless partner…" Snarlov grumbled out the last part. Running a paw over the top of his head, Snarlov took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Opening them back up he started to speak.

"Close to a year ago me and Grizzoli were patrolling our normal route. Nothing special happening and in fact the last couple weeks had been slow. It didn't bother us. We knew the drill and the ups and downs of crime so we were enjoying ourselves. One day we get a call from dispatch. A fight not too far away from our location in Tundratown that needed two large mammals to break it up. We didn't know it at the time, but a tiger had a business meeting that didn't go well so was in a foul mood. A lion had brought his family to enjoy the snow on his day off but had gotten in a little spat with is mate about something. They were just two ordinary mammals whose days were going a little sour. From what we were told afterwards the business mammal accidently stepped on some snow mammal the lion's kit was working on and the lion mouthed off to the tiger. The tiger mouthed off back. Eventually it came to blows."

Reggie listened intently, gripped by the story. Grizzoli had only made a fleeting mention of what caused both ursine's to change. Snarlov closed his eyes again and this time both paws went to the side of his head. His elbows resting on knees, the Brown Bear stayed that way for awhile. Eventually he snapped out of whatever was happening inside of his head and Reggie watched the ursine move mechanically to sit upright and he looked once again back at Reggie.

"We arrived at the end of the fight. During the struggle one of the tiger's claws caught in the neck of the lion and opened up a jugular. I did my best to close the wound…there was so much blood…" Once again Snarlov stopped, this time he closed his eyes, took a deep breath then let it out evenly. Reggie watched as the Bear continued to talk with his eyes closed.

"I watched the life leave his eyes. I saw the pain, the fear, the uncertainty all vanish…that's what broke me…that night I drank until I blacked out for the first time. I continued to do so every single night for a month afterwards."

The Bear opened his eyes "I think what got to Grizzoli was the kit. He's a family mammal and he tried to shield the mother and kit away from the scene…but the damage was done." Snarlov seemed to gain some momentum now that he passed that terrible story.

"When I saw you being choked out by the Bull… when I saw your eyes slowly lose that same spark I saw leave the lion's… I snapped. I couldn't allow that to happen…not again." Snarlov then sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry if I seemed standoffish, but as you can see I was dealing with some stuff." Reggie nodded. The Weasel was dense, but as every mammal seemed to remind him, he wasn't stupid. Reggie waved to gain the Bear's attention, and Snarlov's gaze fell on him once more.

"Mad" Reggie said with a paw still pressed against his throat. He used his free one to point back and forth between the two officers. Snarlov looked confused until he seemed to understand what Reggie was suggesting.

"Not everything's about you Reggie. You moron." Snarlov said. Reggie saw a small smirk on the Bear's face and the Weasel let out a sigh of relief. Then he waved his paw up and down his body in the hopes that Snarlov got the message that he wanted to work out. Snarlov's eyebrow rose.

"I'm pretty sure I know what you're suggesting, but I also want to state that I do not find you attractive." Reggie slapped his forehead and closed his eyes, shaking his head. The Weasel heard something that he wasn't expecting. It was a deep yet quiet chuckle that seemed to be coming from the normally serious Brown Bear. Reggie opened his eyes to see Snarlov laughing. The Weasel only smirked and shook his head once more.

"So you still wanna work out?" Snarlov asked. Reggie nodded.

"Better" Reggie said, causing a coughing fit to erupt out of him. Two syllable words seemed to be difficult.

"You do need to get better Weaselton" Snarlov said, standing up to his full height. The intimidating Brown Bear that had pushed Reggie every day since being partnered was back and the Weasel wouldn't have it any other way. "I'll get dressed and you start stretching. I'll be out in a bit." Snarlov ordered. Reggie nodded to the Bear then headed off. The mustela needed to get better, and the ursine was the one to push him.


	14. An Informant

**Hello Readers!**

 **This is like what maybe the third time I've written something before a chapter? Who knows! Anyway hope everyone is enjoying the story. Criticism is always welcome.**

 **-CG**

* * *

Even though Reggie tried to hide it, there was no denying it the next morning that the weasel couldn't speak louder than a whisper. The Chief had also received a copy of the doctor's report and agreed that the Weasel would need some time to recuperate. Of course the difference between the doctor's ideas of taking it easy and the Chief's were abundantly clear when Reggie found himself stuck on parking duty for the next three days. The Chief also gave him specific instructions that he could not verbally communicate with the ticketed mammals. "Doctor's orders" was the reason given for that decision, though Reggie couldn't help but notice what appeared to be a ghost of a smile on the Cape Buffalo's snout. Still orders were orders and Reggie did his best to non-verbally communicate with irate mammals. It led to a whole slew of new curses flung the Weasel's way.

It was the third day and Reggie just finished ticketing a mouse's car for illegally parking on the sidewalk. His throat feeling better but still sore and able to communicate verbally, but his orders never changed and so he didn't talk to any citizens. He happened to glance up and notice a ZPD cruiser heading down the street. Last time a cruiser came towards him it almost did something he would have regretted. The Weasel steeled himself for the worst. The cruiser pulled to a stop right next to Reggie and the meter mobile. Slowly the window rolled down to reveal a familiar red tod wearing aviators. Officer Wilde looked at the Weasel and began to speak.

"Ah Weselton, looking thin as-" before the fox officer could finish his snide remark, a grey paw appeared and clamped his muzzle shut. That paw was attached to a smiling doe whose head appeared just above the window with her ears perked.

"Hi Officer Weaselton!" said an excited Officer Hopps.

"Officer Hopps" Reggie said with a smile "…Officer Wilde." Reggie tried to not let the tension between the fox and the mustela show, but even his hoarse voice had a certain distain when saying the tod's name. "What's going on?"

"Well actually we need your help in talking with an informant of yours" Hopps said. Just as she finished speaking, Wilde tried to pry her paw off of his muzzle with one of his own. Reggie knew how strong that Rabbit's grip was so it wasn't a surprise when the tod gave that effort up. What did surprise the Weasel was when Hopps threw her head back and started to laugh hysterically, releasing her grip and disappearing from view. The fox looked pleased as he turned back to the mustela. Wilde now free to say whatever snide remark that was sitting on the fox's tongue led Reggie to brace himself.

"What my partner failed to mention is that this informant is an ex-convict" the fox started "you know the type Q-tip. Untrustworthy mammals, always trying to make a quick dollar, not caring who got in the way."

"Like you used to be?" Reggie asked, trying to sound innocent. The Weasel knew he was talking about Duke, he figured it was after Hopps mentioned an 'informant.' Still Reggie wasn't going to hold back just because they were officers. The vulpine officer seemed to have a retort ready, a smug look on his face, even with his eyes hidden. The tod opened his mouth, but all that came out was a cry of pain and the fox's body twitching.

"Ow! That actually hurt Carrots."

"Seriously Nick? Tickling!?" shouted the unseen Officer Hopps "we are on duty!" The fox looked down in the cruiser and shrugged.

"Hey it wor- ah ok I'm sorry!" Reggie could only assume that the fox once again felt the wrath of the Rabbit officer, as the tod's paws shot up in surrender. Reggie tried to hide his growing smile behind a cough and a paw. Officer Hopps once again emerged from the cruiser.

"As I was saying Officer Weaselton, before I was rudely interrupted" Hopps cast a glare at the fox who only shrugged and smiled in response. The Rabbit rolled her eyes and sighed "we need your help trying to find an informant."

"Duke right?" Reggie asked, the doe nodded "I can see where he's at if you want."

"Well actually Officer, I was hoping that you could come with us to help speak with the informant."

"In other words she wants you to get the info from Duke" Officer Wilde added. Reggie's eyebrow rose.

"Oh? Why's that?" Hopps looked away from the Weasel and her head started to move side to side. Reggie surmised that she must be either dancing in place or swaying. Reggie then realized why she was nervous and right on time the Weasel smelled guilt coming off of the Rabbit. He pinched the bridge of his muzzle. "Hopps you don't have to feel guilty. We've been over this." He looked back at the Rabbit who still looked torn.

"You've been over this have you?" asked the vulpine officer. Wilde turned towards the doe, whose ears had fallen from their upright position. "When was this?"

Hopps groaned "When I went to the bar last month with the girls. I kind of found out that Weaselton was going to be there. We talked it out." The Rabbit then looked between the two officers "You both should too." This time it was Reggie's turn to shift on his hind paws as he looked away from the cruiser, a paw rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm good" said the tod. Reggie glanced back up to see the older officer giving the Weasel the side eye, a small amount of emerald visible from the side of the aviators. Reggie tried to keep his expression blank, but felt his temper rising the longer their eyes stayed locked. The mustela heard the doe clear her throat and he blinked. With a quick shake of his head, Reggie turned back to Hopps.

"Officer Weaselton?" Reggie glanced back at the tod, then back to the doe.

"Nothing to talk about" Reggie said bluntly. Hopps gave another groan and Reggie heard her mutter something about 'males'.

"I don't think Chief will allow me to interrogate any informants" Reggie said, trying to change the subject. The Rabbit's ears started to lower "…however if I simply have lunch with my uncle I don't see the harm in that." Reggie finished with a smirk, giving a quick glance to Wilde who was looking forward.

"Oh! That would be very helpful Officer!" Hopps exclaimed. Reggie smiled; it felt good to be of some use to an investigation. Since starting all he had been doing was patrols, traffic and parking duty, so to be able to help his fellow officers reaffirmed to the Weasel that he was a real cop. Even when wearing a bowler cap.

"There's been a string of robberies of Jewelry Stores in Sahara Square similar to the ones that happened in Savannah Central. Officer Wilde and I ran out of leads in Central, but Precinct Two is asking for a joint investigation to see if it's the same mammal."

"So you want me to ask if Duke's heard anything." Hopps nodded. "Do you have any leads on suspects?" Hopps sighed heavily.

"The only evidence we have is fur, which usually would be great, but there is no D.N.A. on the fur. Also all forensics could tell us was that it was a feline. To add to the problem the color of the fur is light brown, brown or a brownish-grey."

"And what that could be like a Jaguar?"

"Or an Ocelot, or Caracal, or a Cheetah, the list is too long of suspects right now." Reggie nodded in understanding. This sounded tough and he didn't envy the officers for having this case. The mustela couldn't help but notice that the vulpine officer had stayed quiet when Hopps was talking. No snide or witty remarks, not even a sound of agreement. He simply sat in the cruiser facing the Rabbit. This should have been heaven for the Weasel, but instead it made him wary. Reggie nodded his head.

"I'll see what Duke knows. Will you be at the office or should I just radio it in to Clawhauser?"

"Radio it in. Thanks Weaselton! I'll owe you one!" Hopps exclaimed.

Reggie waved off the excited Rabbit as she waved to him before disappearing back into the cruiser. As soon as she left the Weasel's view, the window on the cruiser door started to rise. Though the fox officer faced forward, Reggie felt the officer's eyes remaining on him until the windows were completely up. As the cruiser started off down the road, Reggie pulled out his cell phone and sent Duke a quick message.

 _"Lunch?"_

* * *

Duke chose a place in Sahara Square, which meant that Reggie had to drive the meter maid mobile through the scorching sun with no air conditioning at all. Thankfully for the mustela there was a light breeze today that, with the continued moving of his vehicle allowed him to not sweat completely through his uniform. His uncle had chosen a diner called 'Cactus Fruit' that Reggie had seen but never went in to. Deciding it best to look as least threatening as possible, as the young weasel had no idea what type of place Duke invited him too, Reggie kept the reflective vest and cap on as he exited his vehicle and entered the diner.

To his surprise the diner wasn't a dive or some seedy hole in the wall. It reminded him of what the 1950's must have been like. Polished chrome throughout the diner lining the booths and bar. Red plastic seats that looked brand new and seemed polished themselves. Bright white fluorescent lights illuminated the entire restaurant, almost as bright as the sun shining through the large bay windows on each side of the front doors. Reggie had never seen a place like this before and had never heard of it until Duke suggested it. It didn't take long for the Weasel to find his uncle. While there was an assortment of different mammals, from the largest camel to the smallest mole in the establishment, there was only one Weasel sitting at the bar. Reggie climbed up an open stool next to Duke, who was staring at what looked to the young mustela to be a soda.

"I never been here before" Reggie said, his eyes looking all over the diner. The bar had a blue linoleum cover on top that somehow fit in with the chrome surrounding it. "I didn't even know this place existed!" Duke let out a laugh.

"How can you's be my nephew and not know da hottests joints in town?" Duke asked playfully. Reggie shrugged.

"Don't have time to wander like you do." Duke started to cackle and Reggie saw the older Weasel shaking his head.

"You's sound like ya swallowed a horse" Duke commented. Reggie ran a paw on his throat. He hadn't spoken to his family recently and only exchanged texts with Mary. This was his first injury on the job and he wasn't sure how Duchess and his sister would handle it.

"More like a bull's hoof." Duke gave smirked and Reggie saw a knowing look in his uncle's eye.

"Didnn know ya swung dat way." Reggie shot Duke an incredulous look which only had the older mustela doubling over in laughter. "I'm messin'! I can see da bruises." Reggie scoffed and looked away. The diner was starting to get packed with mammals taking more seats at the bar. A question came to the young mustela's mind.

"So why here?" Reggie finally asked. Duke looked down at his drink and his eyes started to glaze over.

"Da old mam used to take me, Rick an Dutch outta eat at playces like this" the older mustela said with a smile. Reggie never met his grandfather, from what he was told dead before fifty. The stories that Duke and Duchess told him spoke of a weasel that went through bouts of heavy drinking and sober religious zeal. His father never mentioned Reggie's grandfather. From the stories of his grandfather, to the real life dealings with his own father, Reggie was convinced that Weaselton's shouldn't be fathers. If Duke and Duchess were anything to go off of, they made great Aunt's and Uncle's.

"Ah Reggie whadda want?" Duke finally asked. The young mustela watched as his uncle looked him up and down. Reggie sighed.

"Sorry this can't be a social visit," Reggie started off. Duke had started to drink from his glass, sucking on a white straw as he didn't look at his nephew. "There have been some robberies happening in the area, Jewelry stores. The officers think that it's a feline-" Duke jumped in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…'the officers'? So dis issn't evens your case?" Reggie shrugged.

"No it's not. I'm helping them out with this. As I was saying-"

"Who's case isst?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah" Reggie sighed and closed his eyes.

"Officer Hopps and Wilde are-"

"You's helpin' dem!?" Duke exclaimed. Out of the corner of his eye, Reggie saw his uncle's tail puff out.

"Yes I am Duke. I'm an officer of the law and so are they. If they need help then I'm going to help them."

"Well I ain't gonna." Duke responded, folding his arms and abandoning his drink. He looked away from Reggie and if Reggie didn't already expect his uncle to act so hostile then the young Weasel may have been hurt from Duke's refusal. As it so happened though, Reggie had expected this and was willing to push the older mustela.

"Duke…you're going to tell me what you know. If you don't then I won't come to dinner this month." Reggie saw his uncle tense up. It was a low blow, but Reggie was willing to do it to gain any information from Duke. Instead Duke turned his head, arms still folded.

"Go ahead. You's won't be missed." Reggie rolled his eyes at the ornery Weasel's response.

 _"Ok Duke, let's see how you like this."_

Reggie grinned mischievously "I'll tell Mary that I'm not coming and the reason being you wouldn't help me when you could. I know she'll tell Dutch, and then you won't have any peace until next month." Duke's head swung back to look at Reggie. The young Weasel could see a hint of fear in the older Weasel's eyes.

"You's wouldn't dare."

Reggie leaned in, his grin still in place as he whispered. "Try me."

"Alright! Alright! Ya win!" Duke shouted, throwing up his arms in defeat. Reggie assumed that other patrons were staring at the two, but since that was simply part of any Weaselton family outing Reggie shrugged it off. Duke sighed and clutched his drink with both paws.

"Nothin's been said about da robberies. Not even tryin' to sell it." Reggie frowned. He may not have been as well versed as his uncle in the arts of the criminal world, but his own experiences plus what he had learned from the older Weasel told him that this was odd. The reasons for waiting to sell is usually to wait until the heat has died down from the crime, but the multiple robberies of the stores suggested that some mammal or mammals needed some quick cash.

"What about the other robberies in Savannah Central?' Duke shrugged.

"Same's thing. It's like summin' swallowed up the jewels. I wouldn't expects dem to surface anytime neithers."

"Any word on who it might be?" Duke rubbed a paw from the tip of his muzzle to his neck.

"Nah…but maybes it's an old head." Reggie's eyebrow rose. The 'old heads' were what younger criminals liked to call the older ones. Most 'old heads' got out of the game early, whether through death, incarceration, or some third option. It wasn't unheard of for some to avoid the slammer for a long time, but it was rare.

"Who you thinking of?" Duke looked at Reggie.

"Dere's dis one cat whose used ta gets a crew together and do Jewels. Last I's heard he was outta it for good."

"This cat got a name?" Reggie prodded. The young mustela was hoping that this information could help, and considering that there was nothing else being said on the street it was something that Hopps and Wilde could work with. Duke's face scrunched up in concentration. If any patron looked at the older Weasel they may have mistaken the look for a sneer with his lip curled revealing his teeth and his eyes narrowed.

"Da only thing I's can rememba is da nickname 'gecko.'" Reggie nodded, and then pulled out a pad and a pen to write it down.

"Do you know what type of cat this 'gecko' is?" Reggie glanced up to see his uncle once again shrugging his shoulders.

"Neva met" Reggie let out a sigh and leaned his head back.

"Ok…thanks Duke" Reggie then looked back at his uncle "seriously thank you." Duke rubbed the back of his head. Reggie saw the inside of his uncle's ears tinge a slight pink.

"Ah whateva Regg, you's family and I's help family" Duke said with a smile "you's buyin lunch though." Reggie chuckled.

"If a waiter comes by any time soon." Duke gave the universal symbol for 'ok.'

"Foods great" then Duke waved the same paw in a cutting motion "but service sucks." This had both Weasels laughing as they tried to wave down a server and get their lunches started.


	15. Officer Down Part One

**Unexpected Sunday Update! I'm going to try to update this story twice a week. I can't make any promises that it'll happen every week, but I won't give up! (Ha jokes) Anyway shoutout to Numbet1ebaystoregmail for their reviews and to answer respond to a review posted by a guest.**

 **It's not that Duke isn't used to doing good deeds for others. It's just that he doesn't like doing it for Hopps and Wilde...or other police officers...or really outside of his family...if he wants too...**

 **Criticism always welcome!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Reggie walked to work with a fresh cup of his favorite drink from his favorite barista. He felt invigorated today. Today was his hundredth day on the job. Snarlov had warned him that usually on the hundredth day, something dealing with the number one hundred would happen to the rookie. A form of actual good natured hazing that the Bear slightly hinted at making sure that it stayed good natured for the Weasel. Still one hundred days as a cop and Reggie could feel the results. The training with Snarlov was starting to pay dividends as the mustela could easily dodge the older officer's blows now. His own attacks seemed to have more behind it as well, several times last week Reggie could have sworn that he almost knocked the Bear off of his hind paws. Finally his duty belt felt lighter. No longer did he feel weighed down by his extra equipment, in fact if Reggie didn't know any better he would have sworn that his leg muscles had grown. All in all things were looking up for the Weasel.

That's why walking in the front door and seeing Clawhauser in a frantic state didn't register anything wrong with Reggie. It could have been a busy early morning. He waved at the Cheetah, but Clawhauser didn't notice as he typed away at his computer and answered incoming dispatches. He couldn't pick out anything specifically, but even Reggie noticed the almost desperate sound in the feline's voice. Reggie frowned.

 _"Something's wrong."_

The Weasel officer quickly headed towards the locker room to get changed. Usually the locker room was bustling with officers either getting ready or heading out, but today it was deserted. Reggie glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 7:27, over a half hour before RollCall. It didn't make sense to the mustela why it was so empty, but it deepened his suspicion as he quickly downed the last of his drink and scurried to his locker. Not ten minutes later and Reggie exited the locker room and headed to RollCall. Now passing the front of the building and heading towards the officers only area, Reggie noticed the flurry of activity. Night officers who Reggie had only seen in passing were still at their desks either typing away or on the phone. The offices usually held by day officers were completely empty. Reggie guessed everyone was at RollCall. He entered the room and the hair on his tail immediately stood on end. The tension was palpable. Reggie made it to his seat and looked over at Snarlov who always beat the Weasel in.

"What's going on" asked Reggie quietly. All other officers were facing forward. No usual banter, no tests of strength, all waiting for something to happen.

"An officer got shot" Snarlov responded.

"Who?"

The Bear shrugged "Dunno, it apparently happened last night. It wasn't any of the night officers, some mammal working overtime."

Reggie pulled himself onto the table and started to survey the seats. All of the seats seemed to be occupied, except one. All the way in front sat a chair with no occupant. One that Reggie immediately recognized as the one that usually held a certain Rabbit and Fox. Before Reggie could point this out to Snarlov, Chief Bogo walked in. There was no fanfare, no noise except for his hooves on the linoleum floor. Reggie watched as he walked to the podium and placed his papers down on it. Even from his distance away from the front, Reggie could see how exhausted the Chief was. Finally the Chief spoke.

"There has been another officer shot and wounded" the Cape Buffalo said. "At twenty three fifteen last night, Officer's Wilde and Hopps were in Sahara Square looking into a string of robberies that were similar to ones that plagued Savannah Central a few months back.

They arrived at the location of the last robbery and started to investigate when an unknown assailant opened fire on them. Officer Wilde was struck twice, once in the abdomen and once in the upper chest. Paramedics arrived and were able to stabilize the wounds and he was rushed to Sahara Regional Hospital. Where he and Hopps are at the moment." The Cape Buffalo pinched between his eyes.

"The reason I am telling you this is because we will be sending an officer there as a protective measure to ensure their safety from another possible attack. The other reason is because the press has already gotten word of the shooting and is mobbing both City Hall and Sahara Regional Hospital. I will be dispatching extra officers to help the Precinct Two officers in securing the crime scene and hospital."

"Precinct Two officers will be helping with the investigation, but it has been decided that two of Precinct One's detectives will lead. Detective's Zirafa and Blackpaw will be those detectives. I expect all officers to fully cooperate with whatever the two detectives need. This is now priority number one. Whenever one of us goes down, we all stand up. Do I make myself clear?!"

A crisp response of "Sir, yes sir!" came from every officer in RollCall. Reggie knew he wouldn't be given an important job, but right now even helping secure the any of the locations seemed of utmost importance. As names and assignments were announced, Reggie started to have a sinking feeling.

"Weaselton!" shouted the Chief. Reggie jumped off his chair and made his way to the Cape Buffalo. "Parking duty." Reggie began to protest.

"But sir-" The clenched hoof of the Chief slammed into the podium, sending a shock wave down into the floor.

"NO BUTS!" The Chief shouted. Reggie was stunned to silence by the outcry. The Cape Buffalo then closed his eyes.

"I do not have the mammal power for you to have a babysitter. I need all capable officers to not have to worry if their partner knows what they are doing."

"Sir I am more than capable, and I'm willing to prove it!" Reggie exclaimed, his voice rising and tail standing out. It was insulting to the Weasel that the Chief didn't think highly of his skills. He had learned in the academy how to treat crime scenes and handle crowds. True enough his experience was slightly lacking with only minor break-ins being assigned for Snarlov and Reggie to watch over so far, but the mustela knew if given a chance he could prove the Chief wrong. Chief Bogo let out a heavy sigh.

"You're still too green for this Weaselton. You have shown impressive improvement these past three months, but right now I need my experienced officers focused." Reggie lost some of his fight with that comment. It seemed to the Chief that he would be too much of a burden right now and no arguing was going to prove otherwise. Accepting his fate, Reggie stood at attention and gave a crisp salute. The tired bull gave a weak one back. The mustela then headed to pick up his gear, trying to hide his disappointment over his assignment.

* * *

The day had been a long one for Reggie. Frustration at being put on parking duty, mixed with some even more than usual irate mammals and the Weasel felt the need to punch something hard. Instead Reggie made his way back to Precinct One to deposit his gear and the meter maid mobile. Maybe the mustela could gather some info from a chatty feline. He entered back into the front of the building and Reggie saw Clawhauser still busy at work at the front desk. Things seemed to have calmed down from this morning, more than likely because of officers knowing their posts now, but the feline seemed to be sharing information with all necessary parties. The Weasel saw the Cheetah talking adamantly on the phone, but unlike times before Clawhauser seemed to simply be going through the motions.

"-Chief said that when he knows more, he promises to let the mayor know right away. I know you're just doing your holding up my phone lines and I need them free! So please…thank you very much!" Clawhauser hung up the phone with a heavy sigh before placing his head into his paws and leaning against the desk.

"You ok Clawhauser?" Reggie asked. As soon as the words left his mouth he knew it was a stupid question. With how close the feline seemed to be with Wilde and Hopps it would only make sense that he wouldn't be. When the Cheetah lifted his head and revealed red rimmed eyes and wet cheeks, Reggie knew it was the wrong question. Instead of throwing the question back at him as Reggie expected, Clawhauser gave a sad smile.

"I'll be ok Reggie, don't worry" the feline said "I'm just worried about Nick and Judy that's all." Reggie stiffened.

"I thought only Officer Wilde was hit?" The Cheetah gave a soft chuckle and shook his head.

"Don't you worry your little head Reggie. Judy is fine physically, but emotionally…" Clawhauser didn't finish the sentence and simply looked away seemingly lost in thought.

"Is there any way I can help?" Reggie offered. The Chief had made it clear that he didn't think that the Weasel should be involved, but still Reggie felt it necessary to offer. Clawhauser frowned, and then turned back to the mustela.

"You know there might something you can do."

"Anything!" Reggie exclaimed. The Cheetah was still frowning, a paw rubbing his chin absentmindedly, before nodding his head and seeming to come to a decision.

"Officer Wooltsten called out for tonight. Apparently he's bedridden with some sheep flu. That means the nightshift is shorthanded. Now all dayshift is working overtime anyway to help fill, but most of them are doing other jobs. Wally was supposed to go to Sahara Square hospital to help out there-" Before Clawhauser could finish that sentence, Reggie interjected.

"Done. I'll do it. Just tell me when I have to go." Another sad smile came across the feline's face.

"Meet up with Delgato in five in the motor bay. The next shift at the hospital will be heading over together." Reggie nodded, and then started to head to the locker room. He wasn't going to change his uniform, but he needed to throw water on his face and maybe grab a coffee from the break room. Before he went too far, Clawhauser called out to him.

"Reggie wait!" The Cheetah cried out. Reggie turned back to the front desk frowning, hoping he wasn't about to be stopped. "Why are you doing this?" The question didn't remove the Weasel's frown, and instead simply had him raising an eyebrow as well. Clawhauser continued "I know you and Nick aren't on the best terms, so why are you doing this?"

 _"Why am I doing this?"_

Reggie didn't have an answer to give to the Cheetah and looked at the floor at first. He was an officer and so was Wilde. No matter what differences existed between the fox officer and the Weasel he had to look past them for the job. Right now the job said they needed to be protected and so he would. Reggie shrugged.

"Protect the badge." Reggie then nodded and headed towards the locker room, mentally preparing himself for a long night.

* * *

Reggie met up with Delgato in the parking lot. Standing with the veteran lion was Wolford, an elk that the Weasel didn't recognize and a Zebra he knew that worked the midnight shift. The young mustela was only truly familiar with the grey wolf, but Reggie knew that this was not the time for socializing. The lion nodded as the Weasel approached.

"Clawhauser told me you were taking Woolsten's place for tonight Weaselton" the lion said. Reggie nodded at the lion, and then looked towards Wolford. The grey wolf officer was fidgeting with his duty belt, opening and closing pouches with no real purpose. To the mustela Wolford always seemed to be in a good mood, but now his smile seemed force and Reggie noticed the nervous glances the wolf was giving.

"Alright load up gents, we're taking a cruiser there." The lion waved the officers to a ready cruiser, a large mammal one that Reggie assumed was used by Delgato. The elk and Zebra didn't have much trouble getting comfortable, but Reggie and Wolford had to share a seat. Any other vehicle it may have been a problem, but Reggie had more than enough room. With the officers' ready, Delgato started the cruiser and headed off for Sahara Square Hospital. The mustela noticed that the grey wolf was still fidgeting in his seat. Reggie kept stealing glances at the larger mammal, and could see the worried look that Wolford was trying to hide.

"You ok?" Reggie asked. He couldn't remember a time that the wolf was this nervous. Wolford shot the mustela a toothy smile.

"Same as always Weaselton. One lean, mean, arresting machine!" It was an obvious lie that Reggie could see through. Whatever was eating at the lupine officer, he wouldn't tell say right away. The Weasel huffed.

"You don't seem ok. In fact you seem jumpy," Reggie narrowed his gaze at the veteran officer"almost like you expecting trouble."

"Don't you know Weaselton, we should always expect trouble." Even as Wolford spoke, Reggie saw the smile slip from the lips of the wolf. Reggie's eyebrow rose.

"You're a terrible liar Wolford. What's eating at you?" The smile on the wolf's face disappeared. Wolford sighed.

"Fangmeyer is still out in the field tracking…and well I'm here." All the nervous energy seemed to leave the wolf as his shoulders slouched.

"So what's the big deal? She looks like she can take care of herself." Wolford nodded.

"No she can" Wolford laughed "she's better than me in combat. Still…"

"Worried about your partner I get it." The grey wolf coughed.

"Yep…yep that's totally it." The wolf's words itched at the back of the Weasel's mind. Reggie felt like he was missing an important fact. He heard a soft chuckle coming from Delgato, and he thought he heard the lion mutter 'puppy love', but that couldn't be right. The Weasel shook off the itch and the lion's comments and focused back on Wolford.

"So why aren't you with her then?" Reggie asked.

"Chief Bogo wants me to put my nose to good use. Apparently some reporters tried to sneak into the hospital and get some photos, so I'm going to spend tonight sniffing around making sure no one is snooping" Wolford laughed "Nothing like a guard dog to guard a dog like Wilde." Reggie chuckled and shook his head. The wolf spirits seemed to brighten at the joke and Reggie had an idea.

"Hey Wolford?" the wolf turned towards Reggie "what did the boat say to the giant squid?" Wolford shrugged.

"I don't know what?" Reggie smirked and leaned closer to the wolf.

"You're kraken me up." There was complete silence in the cruiser after Reggie delivered the punch line. The confidence the mustela had in his own joke faltered as his smirk started to dissipate. Wolford snorted, and then started chuckling, eventually he burst into laughter.

"That was terrible Weaselton!"

Reggie frowned "Hey it's the best one I have!"

"It's one of the worst jokes I've heard" Delgato said from the driver's seat. Reggie huffed and folded his arms, turning his attention back to the feline.

"Well then let's hear what you got?" Wolford spoke up.

"Nah Weaselton! You don't want to hear from that mangy mane. _My_ jokes on the other hand are perfect." Delgato snorted. Wolford started into one of his tales as the atmosphere in the cruiser changed. Reggie didn't realize how thick the air was until it evaporated. He relaxed into the seat as laughter started to fill the air. The Weasel closed his eyes and tried to rest a bit. This was going to be a long night and he needed to be ready.

* * *

A half hour later the cruiser pulled up to Sahara Square Hospital. Reggie may have fallen asleep for a handful of minutes, but he felt refreshed nonetheless. The officers exited the vehicle in better spirits than they entered it. Wolford's laughter echoed through the night as Reggie chuckled. The Weasel could see Sergeant Higgins standing in front of the glass sliding doors of the hospital.

"Officer Woolsten called out. Officer Weaselton is here to replace" Delgato said, pointing a claw at the mustela officer. The Hippo nodded.

"Delgato, Wolford, you got outside patrol. Pay close attention to the southwest corner, there's a blind spot in the cameras there. Hoofvesky, Sebras, you will assist in patrolling the inside. Weaselton, Woolsten was supposed to be in the room with Hopps and Wilde. Therefore that's your post. Check everyone who comes in and no authorized personnel. Is that clear?" All the officers nodded and headed off. Delgato and Wolford started their patrol of the outside. Weaselton walked with the Elk and the Zebra through the sliding doors, Higgins leading the way. The two hoofed officers went on their own, going through another set of automatic doors. The Weasel and Hippo walked to a set of three elevators. Higgins pushing the up button and then brought his hooves behind his back. The Hippo then stretched his body by leaning back and letting his snout point skyward. With a groan the veteran officer straightened out once more.

"You're not supposed to be here Weaselton," Higgins said, Reggie looked at the sergeant, but the Hippo's eyes were cast forward. "Chief said you weren't to be involved 'too green' is how he put it."

"Woolsten called out and I was done my duty for the day. I don't see the problem." Reggie wanted to remain respectful, but wouldn't be sent back to the Precinct either. Sergeant Higgins still didn't look at the Weasel, but nodded.

"Due to miscommunication from the overflow of information, there was an oversight where you were sent to take post here. This oversight is regrettable, but impossible to correct given the circumstances. Is that clear?" Reggie recognized what the Hippo was saying. If the Chief doesn't find out then good for everyone involved. If the Chief does find out then it's the Weasel's problem. Once Reggie agreed to what Sergeant Higgins was saying, the mustela would not be able to call on any other officer to his defense should disciplinary actions be taken. To the Weasel it was a price worth paying.

Reggie nodded "Yes sir." The young officer saw a small smile on the veteran officer's snout.

"Snarlov says good things about you Weaselton. I hope they are all true."

"I've never known him to lie sir" Reggie retorted. Once again the Hippo simply nodded and the elevator doors finally opened.


	16. Past and Present Mistakes Part One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia, Disney or any of the characters.**

 **Hello once again readers! I hope everyone is enjoying the story. Remember criticism is always welcome.**

 **-CG**

* * *

Sergeant Higgins hit the top floor button on the elevator, and then folded his hooves in front of him. Reggie stood next to the larger mammal, paws behind his back and hind paws separated slightly standing at parade rest. As the doors closed, there was silence between the two officers. Once the elevator started moving up, Higgins then spoke.

"Officer Wilde is located in the small mammals section of the hospital on the top floor in room twelve oh two. We have tried to remove Officer Hopps on several occasions, but she refuses to budge. I recommend not trying since she almost broke a Precinct Two Officer's paw when she tried to remove her. Other than that she hasn't eaten and hasn't left Wilde's side. I don't expect her to speak so don't expect it either. The Officer on duty has the checklist for those allowed in. Only those mammals that are on the list are allowed in that room, no exceptions. Any mammal not on the list you are free to detain and radio me for pick up. We are running on frequency two C tactical, so adjust your radio now." Reggie reached up and clicked the dials on the back of his mic to the appropriate channel. "We are running on radio silence unless contact is made." Reggie nodded in understanding. No unnecessary conversations and being on a separate channel meant no outside conversations could be heard either

The doors to the elevator opened up. Instead of opening to a large hallway such as the one they entered the elevator from. This floor's roof was much lower. Reggie guessed possibly five feet, no way for the Hippo next to him to enter. The Weasel walked forward and into the hallway. He headed for the nurse's station in directly in his path and asked for 1202. Told where to go, the Weasel walked briskly to the room.

The room was only three down from the nurse's station, and Reggie turned the door knob and entered the room. Expecting it to be as bright as it was in the rest of the hospital Reggie found it in close to utter darkness. Only the lights from the machines and the lamps from the parking lot gave any form of illumination. A figure leaned against the window sill with a halo of orange light around the mammal. Green eyes stared as Reggie entered the room. The steady beeping of one of the machines, mixed with the sound of a pump expanding and retracting were the only noises to be heard. The figure then spoke.

"I thought they were sending a competent officer to relieve me," commented the figure "not a cheat like you." Reggie recognized that voice immediately.

"Officer Faircutter, glad to see you're not bitter about being Salutatorian." The lynx officer scoffed and pushed herself off the sill and walked towards the Weasel. Reggie caught a glimpse of white on her left paw. "I see. You're the one who tried to remove Officer Hopps. Glad to see she didn't break anything." The feline officer flinched, still not completely illuminated, but her eyes easily visible. Still Reggie saw the shiver run through his former classmate's frame and the shadows of her ears disappeared as they lay on the back of her head. She pressed a folded paper into Reggie's chest roughly.

"Here's the list. Don't screw up now _Weaselton_. Wouldn't want to see you replaced." She spoke with a sneer, and when she drew near the light from the hallway shone on the feline's revealed teeth.

"Have a good night Faircutter" Reggie deadpanned. He wasn't here to talk to the Precinct Two officer, and he hoped that she would leave without another word. This time Reggie's hope was answered as the lynx officer stalked off and out of the room, closing the door behind her. The mustela let out a heavy sigh and surveyed the room with a keener eye. Wilde was in a small mammal bed between all the medical equipment. The low lights showing Reggie enough of the fox to see him bare-chested with gauzes and tape located on two areas of his body. The white sheets outlining the red tod's fur, Reggie couldn't help but think that Wilde actually looked peaceful. Closest to the windows on the side of the bed looked like a small drawer that looked to be made of fake wood. On the side of the bed closest to the door a chair had been placed with its back to the door. Reggie stepped towards the foot of the bed, craning his neck to get peak at the chair. As to be expected one grey doe was sitting on the chair. She was still wearing her uniform, but she was no longer wearing her Kevlar vest or duty belt. Even being for smaller mammals, the chair still seemed slightly too large for her. With her ears laying on her back, and her paws resting in her lap, Reggie didn't need his nose to know what Hopps was feeling. Her gaze was locked onto the fox in the bed, and after what Higgin's warned the Weasel, Reggie made no attempt to gain her attention. Instead he walked over to where Faircutter was leaning.

Reggie stared out the window, watching the flicker of headlights and taillights as cars came and left the hospital. He caught the sight of a cruiser patrolling though the parking lot, almost dancing between the light of the lamps and the darkness surrounding them. As he continued to stare, the mustela's mind started to wander. To a memory that felt so fresh, yet so long ago.

" _No,"_ Reggie thought, catching his own reflection in the glass, hardness in the gaze that reflected back at the young officer. _"It was in the middle of the day…_

* * *

 _Reggie stared out the window from Rainforest Regional Hospital. The midday sun shone through the leaves, lighting up the forest floor below. Reggie could see mammals going about their busy day as they came and left the hospital. Not a care in the world for what happened the night before. The Weasel had not been given a change of clothes, and still stood in his slightly damp attire from the rain from the night before. His black pants stained forever in Crystal's blood. The black long sleeved shirt with a broad green stripe directly in the center of his chest running from top to bottom. Reggie sneered at the stripe on his reflection's chest. He used to wear it with a sense of pride, a sense that he belonged to something bigger. Now it only mocked him. Reminded him of the promise he couldn't keep._

" _Damn you Tommy" muttered the mustela under his breath "I will find you." He gripped the window sill and let his claws scrape the paint of the sill. Reggie closed his eyes and tried to slow down his breathing. It wouldn't help if he started the War Dance now. No, that needed to be saved for all of those RFL members who escaped his plan. As if on cue the Weasel heard the door open behind him. He opened his eyes and slowly turned around. Standing just in the doorway was an elder Ram, dressed in Z.P.D. blues. The rank on his shoulder told Reggie that this Ram was a Chief._

" _I'm Deputy Chief Ramholtz of Rainforest District Precinct Seven. I would like to formally apologize for the way you were treated while detained last night." Reggie scoffed._

" _You're trying to cover your tail and I know it." The Ram showed no emotion, but Reggie knew his words hit home. "I'm feeling generous today Deputy Chief and I am willing to not sue Precinct Seven for the obvious mistreatment yesterday."_

" _I will not perform anything illegal" the Ram said, his voice rising slightly. A grin threatened to overtake Reggie's muzzle as the Weasel started to lose his control._

" _I don't want anything illegal Chief," Reggie started, walking towards the Ram now "on the contrary these all fall under your perfectly legal job title." The Ram gave the mustela a questioning look._

" _What are the terms?" The grin was now plastered on his face Reggie slowly walked towards the officer._

" _First I want the two detectives fired. Two adults beating on a minor doesn't sound fair now does it?" Reggie shook his head as he spoke. The Ram nodded silently. "Second I want to give you a gift." The officer's eyebrow rose._

" _A gift?"_

" _Yes, a gift" Reggie continued "all wrapped up and ready to opened up for you and all of Zootopia to see. The best part is that you" pointing a claw at the Ram "get to be the bringer of this gift."_

" _I'm not sure I follow you." Reggie's eyes went wide and let out a cackle, his head lolling backwards on his shoulder._

" _This is a one time opportunity, and I REALLY recommend you take it." Reggie stuck out his paw, completely lost in his rage. The Ram officer hesitantly grasped the Weasel's paw with his hoof. The mustela tittered with laugher as they shook, his other paw coming up to cover his broad grin._

" _Now…what's the gift?" The Ram asked, ruining the moment slightly for the elated Weasel, but he figured he had been a good sport and therefore deserved it. Laughter once again escaped Reggie as he tried to not double over in his mirth. He looked at Deputy Chief Ramholtz and spoke the words that would change everything._

" _Why I'm giving you Rain Forest Lords."_

* * *

"Officer Weaselton?" A voice spoke Reggie's name from behind. The Weasel quickly turned around, paw reaching for his tranq pistol. His paw grasped at air as he found his holster empty. Reggie mentally kicked himself for not grabbing it from his locker. The mustela refocused on the room to find it empty of any new mammals. He looked over to the bed and saw Hopps staring back at him. His shadow from the outside lights cast over the bed and right into where she had been staring. Reggie ran a paw over his eyes and tried to calm his nerves. He had become too engrossed in the memory and stopped paying attention to his duty.

"Officer Hopps, glad to see you're alright." The grey doe's head tilted slightly.

"Why are you here?" Reggie's eyebrow rose. Had she been so out of it that she didn't notice the officers in the room?

"Chief Bogo's orders. He wants an officer to be with you two." The expression on Hopps' face didn't change, she seemed lost in thought. Then her ears shot up and her gaze narrowed on the Weasel.

"You aren't going to try and make me leave are you?" The question from the Rabbit officer held all the venom of a viper and seemed to dare Reggie to try. The young officer raised his paws in surrender.

"I was…advised by Sergeant Higgins to not take such action." Hopps nodded firmly and her gaze went back to Wilde. Reggie stood in silence still looking at the distressed officer. The young officer didn't know what else to do. There had been classes at the Academy for dealing with grieving victims and their families, but that didn't seem appropriate. Hopps would have had those same classes, known what textbook answer to give, and also how hollow those words could sound to the officer themselves. Once again something was itching at the back of Reggie's mind. Unlike with Wolford, the Weasel felt he had all the pieces and just needed to put them together. The way that the Rabbit was looking at the Fox nagged at the Weasel. It was like his unconscious mind was trying to force Reggie to realize something.

" _She's looking at him…just like-"_ A flash of a memory of a rainy night in an alley. A specific night where Reggie's world changed, a night that still haunted him. Reggie shook his head.

" _It can't be…that's absurd…a Rabbit and a Fox?"_ Reggie gritted his teeth. _"A Weasel being a cop sounds just as absurd."_ Reggie was not a Weasel of tradition, none of the Weaselton's were. The young officer didn't care about interspecies couples either, whatever kept mammals out of his way was fine by him. Still the idea made the mustela uneasy. Maybe it was the fact that it was a predator/prey relationship. Maybe because it was co-workers and he felt like he had just read Hopps' diary. Maybe it was both these reasons. Thankfully Reggie was not stupid enough to bring this up to the semi-catatonic Rabbit, and if the Weasel had his way he wouldn't think of it again.

The Weasel's thoughts were broken by the sound of a sob, and then a sniff, and finally a torrent of quiet crying. Reggie glanced up to see to the grey doe with her head resting on the bed, her arms around her head as her ears lay on the bed and her shoulders shook from her tears.

" _I thought you weren't stupid Reggie"_ Reggie thought bitterly. Here he was debating what they felt was right or wrong while an officer was almost killed and another was in emotional turmoil. The mustela made a mental note to have Mary kick him hard in the tail next time he saw her and slowly walked over to Hopps. He stopped a foot away from the devastated Rabbit and hesitated. The Weasel wasn't sure what was appropriate for this situation, should he touch her shoulder? Simple pat on the back? Was he only supposed to talk to Hopps?

" _You got this Reggie, just place your paw on her shoulder…"_ Reggie moved his paw slowly to the sobbing Rabbit's shoulder, placing it gently on Hopps shoulder. The doe stilled under his paw. _"Ok Reggie, now just pat her twice for reassurance. Ready?"_ Reggie raised his paw slightly off the lapine officer's shoulder. _"One…"_ Reggie brought his paw down then raised it back up. _"Two-"_ The Weasel's train of thought was interrupted by a grey bullet striking him in his midsection. Hopps hugged Reggie, leaning over the arm of the chair and burying her face in his uniform.

" _Uhhhh…."_ Reggie thought.

"Uhhhh…." escaped Reggie's muzzle before he could stop it. The Rabbit officer quickly released, hiding her face behind her ears as her paws tugged them down. The mustela wasn't sure, but her ears and face looked slightly darker.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hopps started "you see Rabbit's are physical mammals and IwassolostthatIdidn'tevennoticewhatIwasdoinguntilitwastoolate!" The young mustela stood stunned as the lapine continued to ramble on different explanations and apologies.

"Hopps" Reggie tried to interject, but the Rabbit continued on in a stream of nonsense. "Hey Hopps!" Reggie almost shouted as this point. Still utter gibberish seemed to be the only response of the grey doe. Finally the Weasel had enough.

" _OFFICER_ HOPPS!" Reggie yelled, moving his paw quickly in front of the Rabbit's face and snapping his digits. Hopps stopped. Her paws released her ears, and the long appendages moved back into an upright position. Her eyes remained closed as her face stayed composed. Slowly she opened her eyes. Tired, red ringed Amethyst stared back at black, beady eyes. Reggie sighed.

"It's ok Hopps. I understand." Reggie was surprised by the hug, but wasn't worried about it. At least not like Hopps was. He gave the distressed officer a sad smile. "There's no reason to be sorry." Hopps looked away.

"I've been holding back since I came to the hospital…emotional bunny and all…" He had heard that stereotype before…among others…

"I get that" Reggie responded. His gaze wandered back to the fox on the bed. Even with that entire racket that just happened, Wilde never moved.

"The doctor says he'll make a full recovery" Hopps said, Reggie looked down to see the Rabbit had turned back to look at the vulpine officer. "The nurses have said that the pain medication is the reason that he hasn't woken up yet…but still…" The Rabbit drifted off.

"Then there's no reason to worry, right?" Reggie was trying to be reassuring, but his words seemed to be failing him. Nothing that came to mind sounded correct. Hopps didn't respond to Reggie, and the mustela breathed a silent sigh of relief. He glanced about the room, hoping for something to catch his attention. Still his eyes always wandered back to the fox in the bed.

"So you and Wilde huh?" Reggie said absentmindedly. As soon as the words left his muzzle, the Weasel closed his eyes and grimaced.

" _Amazing work there officer!"_ The Weasel wasn't sure why he said it. _"Fleas! Probably more tired than you realize…yeah that's it…"_ Reggie opened an eye cautiously, almost expecting to see either an irate Rabbit or a large foot heading his way. There was no response from Hopps as she was back in her original posture when he entered the room. The Weasel started to relax and walked back over to window sill. If they both ignored the question, then maybe he wouldn't feel like too much of a moron. Before he passed the foot of the bed, Hopps spoke up.

"Would it be so bad?" she asked. There was an edge in her voice that had Reggie turning quickly to look at her. The orange light shined off of her large eyes, which glowed with a fiery passion. Clawhauser had told him stories of Hopps taking down mammals ten times her size, and with the look Reggie was receiving from the smaller mammal, he believed it. She pressed on.

"Would it truly be so bad if…if…" this time Hopps couldn't finish her thought as she broke down in tears once again. Reggie knew no physical contact or reassuring placates would help her. The only thing that could was acceptance, and the Weasel wasn't sure he could.

" _Alright Regg think about it. If it wasn't Hopps and Wilde. If it was just a Rabbit and a Fox walking down the street would you care?"_ The mustela looked away from the lapine. Would he care?

" _No…I wouldn't give a damn."_

" _Alright you dense polecat, voice it."_ Reggie nodded then turned back to Hopps. Her gaze had left him and now was looking down at her folded paws.

"No Hopps. It wouldn't be so bad." Even as he spoke those words Reggie was impressed by the strength in his voice. It sounded confident even though he held trepidation. Hopps slowly turned her gaze back to Reggie. She smiled softly. The Weasel returned the smile with a smirk of his own. "So how long have you two been together?" The question was supposed to be a safe one for the mustela to ask. Use it to lighten the mood of the room a bit, maybe get Hopps to relax as well. Instead the smile slipped off the doe's face and a nervous look replaced it as Hopps reached for her right ear and started to fiddle with it. Reggie blinked.

" _What did I do wrong this time?"_

"Well…" started Hopps.

" _Is it something she doesn't want to talk about? Don't couples like talking about that? Ticks isn't that what's supposed to happen!?"_

"…about that…"

" _Fleas and Ticks! Fleas and Ticks! Stop freaking out Reggie, she still talking!"_

"I haven't…really…said…anything…" Hopps finished. There was a pregnant pause as all the stress left Reggie and seemed to settle in Hopps. Reggie blinked again.

"Why not?"

" _You're doing great Regg! Keep shoving that tail farther down your throat!"_

The Rabbit seemed to deflate under the question with her gaze shifting back to Wilde's sleeping form. "I'm afraid…of losing my best friend."

" _Ah…of course…"_ Reggie understood some of what she was feeling. He also knew a feeling that Hopps was lucky enough not to experience either. The feeling of regret from not acting.

"That almost happened though" Reggie said. The words were harsh, and he didn't mean them to be, but the Weasel was starting to see similarities between him and the Rabbit. Hopps turned towards the mustela, her ears shooting back up. She looked shocked, like Reggie had just sucker punched her. "It could have ended without you saying it. Without you knowing his answer." The Weasel continued his journey to the window sill. When he turned back that look of shock turned into one of malice. Reggie let her gaze bounce off of him as he looked towards his own hind paws, his arms folding then falling to his side.

" _You made this mess. Now it's time to clean it up."_

"Can I tell you a story Hopps?" asked Reggie. He glanced back up at the Rabbit. Her head tilting slightly at the question but her glare still remained.

"A story?"

"Yes, a story" Reggie continued "one that I think you should hear." His gaze met Hopps once more. She sighed but waved a paw for him to continue. The Weasel smirked and glanced back to the floor.

"When I was twelve my father died-"

"Sweet Cheese and Crackers!" Hopps interjected. Reggie looked back at the Rabbit, her paws covering her mouth and her ears were erect once more. Reggie waved with a paw.

"Not that big of a deal Hopps. Anyway he had enemies so I thought the best way to protect my mother and my sister would be to join the local gang. We lived in the Rainforest District and that was called the Rainforest Lords or R.F.L. for short. So I went through the initiation, got in the gang and everything involved with that. Sadly my mom would die not too long after tha-"

"Pickled Radi-" Hopps interjected.

"Hopps!" Reggie countered, a paw coming up to stop her. "Please save your outbursts until the end." He looked back at her and she nodded, he then ran the same paw over the top of his muzzle and over his eyes. This was a hard enough tale as it was and these stop and starts were not making it easy on the Weasel. Reggie closed his eyes and sighed, then opened them back up and continued on.

"My sister would move out of the Rainforest District to live with my aunt and uncle. Problem was the R.F.L. had a rule. Blood in, Blood out. In other words the only way to get in or out is to shed blood. I did it to get in, but wasn't willing to do it to get out." Reggie fought back a snarl on his lips. "Mammals only left the gang in body bags.

So I figured I would stay. Enjoy the lifestyle and figured I would die when I was done" Reggie shrugged his shoulders and gave an apologetic look to the Rabbit officer "I was young and dumb." Reggie's shoulders dropped as his paws grasped the window sill behind him. He held onto the sill with all his strength, as his claws dug into the wood. The mustela couldn't look at Hopps any longer.

"Then I met a ferret…"


	17. Past and Present Mistakes Part Two

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia, Disney or any of its characters._**

 ** _Hello readers! This chapter is the largest one to date, but I couldn't bring myself to chop it up. Criticism is always welcome and enjoy._**

 ** _-CG_**

* * *

 _"…Problem solved!" finished Big Tommy's joke. The melanistic jaguar laughed boisterously. The joke was an attack on the Weasel, but he didn't respond to it. Reggie wasn't interested in the large feline. As much as Big Tommy was the leader of the R.F.L., there wasn't much love between the two of them. They found they needed each other. Tommy was the muscle and leader that kept every mammal in line, but Reggie had more contacts that used to be connected to his father. Granted that came with the caveat of a Tommy always referring to the Weasel by a hated nickname._

" _Didn't you find that funny R.J." asked the big cat, Reggie could hear the sneer in his voice._

" _Hilarious sir" responded Reggie. They were squatting on a stoop at the corner of Juniper drive and Berry Avenue. It was almost the exact center of R.F.L. territory, and as much as Tommy acted with bravado, Reggie knew he was too cowardly to leave his territory. Reggie was leaning against the concrete railing leading to the three story house that Tommy had commandeered for the gang. With them was Zeek, a honey badger built like a bison and Tommy's personal bodyguard. The badger was always around the big cat, never leaving Tommy's side._

 _It was midday and Reggie should have been in school, but Rainforest South High School was terrible and it never mattered if he showed up anyway. He hadn't been to his aunt and uncle's in awhile either. Having three lawbreakers around Mary, who all of a sudden decided she wanted to become a nurse, didn't sit well with the young mustela. The sun was shining through the trees casting shadows on the street and sidewalk. The humidity from the sprinkler systems was starting to get underneath Reggie's fur. He heard the feline yawn behind him._

" _Doesn't even seem like the Po-Po want to come out today." Tommy said. If Reggie was correct, then the cat would be settling down for his nap. As if planned Tommy spoke._

" _Run along Reggie. Go get into some trouble somewhere else." Reggie knew this as code for the Jaguar didn't want to see him anymore. He looked back at the big cat lazing about on the step, completely stretched out. The badger leaned against the building next to the door, looking up and down the street, Zeek's eyes never lingering for too long. All the mammals present were wearing a black shirt of some type with black pants and a green stripe down the middle of the shirt. Tommy's also had green on the top of his sleeves to make him stand out. Reggie nodded to Tommy who waved him away. The Weasel decided to walk around for a bit, maybe find a nice place to try and stay dry. He walked five blocks before the mustela saw a sight he had never seen before._

 _Across the street in an old park that was filled with more litter than flowers stood a grey Ferret with a wooden tripod of some sort, and they looked to be doing something. The Ferret wore a plain white shirt and blue denim jeans. As Reggie crossed the street he saw that the ferret was painting. More importantly they were painting the park. The Weasel stood behind the slightly taller Ferret and watched them paint. They were humming as their brush strokes traveled along the canvas._

" _Hey" said Reggie._

" _Hello" a feminine voice responded._

" _What you doing?"_

" _Painting." Reggie nodded. He looked around the tripod and saw a brown canvas bag below it._

" _What's in the bag?"Reggie asked, looking back at the Ferret._

" _Paint" responded the Ferret, not even bothering to look at him._

" _Anything of value?"_

" _Nope." The Ferret popped the 'p' in the word and started to make broader brush strokes. Reggie moved to the side of the tripod and grabbed the bag. He glanced back at the Ferret, her blue eyes still focused on her work. The Weasel opened the bag only to find small glass containers filled with different colorful liquids. There were also some paintbrushes and the entire bag was stained with different colors. He looked back at the Ferret and noticed the front of her outfit had smears of different colored paints all over. Reggie frowned._

" _Hey"_

" _Mm?" responded the Ferret._

" _You lied." The Ferret stopped mid stroke and looked down at Reggie with a raised eyebrow._

" _Did I?" Reggie nodded, then picking up one of the brushes, he held it up._

" _There are brushes in here too." The Ferret blinked, and then giggled, a paw covering her mouth._

" _I guess I did." The Weasel put the bag back. He then turned and walked away. Paws stuffed in his pockets and his black clothing keeping the heat in Reggie decided to find a place to crash for the day. As he stepped left the park he heard the Ferret call back after him._

" _Let's do this again sometime!" Reggie simply waved and continued on._

" _What a strange mammal" Reggie mused._

* * *

 _Reggie had been receiving word that a grey ferret kept coming in and out of their territory. She would be in a different place each day and always painting. Some of the more nervous lookouts started suggesting that she may be a spy from another gang. The Weasel brushed off those comments. If she was supposed to be spying on them, then standing out in the open was a terrible idea. Add to that the locations she showed up in were dilapidated parks, abandoned lots, and the old movie theater, it didn't seem like she was gathering anything. The mustela decided to intervene personally._

 _He found the Ferret on Vine Street, standing in front an old section of row homes. The homes had long been abandoned. The proof being the vegetation that started to grow up around the houses and through some broken windows. Reggie approached her from the Ferret's left side, unlike their last meeting the Weasel needed to be more assertive._

" _Hey!" Reggie shouted, taking heavy strides towards the painter "what are you doing here!?"_

" _Painting" the Ferret replied coolly. Once again her eyes never left her work. Reggie walked up to the Ferret and pushed her. Her left hind paw lifted off the ground, while she hopped to the right the right. She turned quickly on Reggie._

" _What's your problem?" The Ferret nearly shouted. Her blue eyes as cold as ice to Reggie. The Weasel stepped forward._

" _' .Here!" Reggie yelled. The Ferret was slightly taller than Reggie, and if the Weasel were to guess, slightly older. The Ferret sniffed then folded her arms._

" _Says who?"_

" _Says Me!" The female mustela scoffed at the male._

" _You don't own these streets." The words were said in a low tone. Reggie almost didn't hear it._

" _No I don't" Reggie started "but I'm with those who do, and mammals are starting to get fidgety with you always coming around." The female gave an unimpressed look back._

" _For painting?"_

" _No not for painting. Mammals think you're keeping tabs on the R.F.L." Reggie didn't know why, but he felt the need to explain to the Ferret why she shouldn't come around anymore. The Ferret scoffed again._

" _What do mammals think I'm drawing maps?"_

" _Yes." The Ferret blinked._

" _Really?"_

" _YES!" Reggie began to shout once more. "It's not safe for you to keep coming here!" The Ferret huffed, and then placed both her paws on the sides of her hips._

" _I can take care of myself. Thank you very much." The male mustela groaned. He might as well have been talking to the trees. Reggie threw up his hands in frustration._

" _Fine. Be that way, but if something happens to you then don't expect me to bail you out."_

" _I don't even know who you are!?"_

" _THE NAMES REGGIE AND DON'T FORGET IT!"_

" _WELL MY NAMES CRYSTAL AND DON'T FORGET THAT!" Reggie knew now that the Ferr-_ _ **CRYSTAL**_ _wouldn't be talked out of her obvious suicide mission. Washing his paws of the situation, Reggie threw them up in defeat and walked away. As he left, the Weasel heard a growl of frustration from behind._

" _YOU MESSED UP MY PAINTING YOU JERK!" Reggie couldn't help but smile._

* * *

 _Reports still came in about Crystal, but Reggie for the most part ignored them. If she truly was just painting then there was no harm in it. If she wasn't just painting and was keeping tabs, then she was doing a terrible job choosing places nowhere near their activity. Eventually the reports made it to Big Tommy. Usually the Jaguar wouldn't care one way or another about comings and goings of mammals, but the fact that she had come regularly for a week made those jittery members talk louder than usual. Tommy had called Reggie into his 'office.' Said 'office' was simply the cat's bedroom. It allowed the Jaguar to stretch out while giving orders. At the moment a lioness was lying naked behind the partially propped up Jaguar. She was dragging her claws through Tommy's chest fur while the Jaguar talked to Reggie._

" _R.J." Tommy started "have you heard reports of this Ferret?" Reggie nodded._

" _I checked her out myself. She's just a painter." The feline sneered._

" _So you were 'checking her out'?" The play of words wasn't lost on the mustela who simply rolled his eyes and groaned internally._

" _Not like that sir." The feline chuckled darkly. Reggie had no time for the opposite gender, and Tommy's need to flaunt his conquests in front of the Weasel drove him even more to distance himself from possible relationships. He was going to die young anyway, so why bother? Reggie continued._

" _I don't believe the ferret is of any concern of ours. She keeps to herself and doesn't go near our operations." The Jaguar nodded._

" _Keep an eye on her anyway." Reggie's eyebrow rose._

" _Sir?" Tommy leered._

" _Don't 'sir' me. I don't want to be wrong and have some outside gang take our turf. Until she leaves our turf or stops showing up, you're going to shadow her." Reggie huffed._

" _That seems ridiculous honestly."_

" _I don't want your honesty. Just do it!" The Jaguar growled out the last part. Reggie nodded and headed out. If Crystal's habit of coming regularly was any indication, then the Weasel's free time was about to evaporate._

* * *

 _Reggie stared at the Ferret in front of him and frowned. She had propped herself across from him with a pad and a pencil. She had been drawing for some time now, but hadn't let him see what._

" _Hey Crystal?" Reggie asked._

" _Hmm?" Crystal responded._

" _What are you doing?"_

" _Drawing." She replied a smirk on her face as she looked at Reggie with her blue eyes. The Weasel rolled his eyes._

 _It had been a month since Tommy had given Reggie his 'mission.' At first the Weasel snuck in the shadows, watched the Ferret from afar and followed her movements. Since all Crystal did was paint it wasn't too long before Reggie abandoned this and simply stayed around her. At first the female mustela didn't even acknowledge the male mustela. Cold indifference is what met the Weasel, and it was returned in kind. Eventually though indifference started to give way to curiosity from both of the mammals and questions had been asked. Reggie wanted to know why Crystal was painting here and Crystal wanted to know why Reggie was there to begin with._

 _They both answered their respective questions. Crystal wanted to paint the urban landscape mixed with the natural beauty of nature and Reggie was ordered too. After that their relationship warmed. No longer was their indifference, but pleasant greetings. No longer were there cold glares, but warm smiles. For Reggie no longer was there a need to keep distance, but a growing want to stay closer to the Ferret. She was older than him by two years and was still in High School herself, but that didn't seem to hinder their growing friendship. Now Crystal came into R.F.L. territory from the same direction each time, and Reggie met her at the border of their territory like clockwork._

 _It was growing dark and as much as Reggie liked to believe that the other members would leave her alone as long as he was there, he didn't want to push his luck either._

" _You should head out soon" Reggie said, looking towards the darkening canopy as he spoke "don't want you walking alone in the dark now." Crystal laughed._

" _HA! How can I be alone if you're always right there?" Reggie tried to hide a smile with a frown and sniffed._

" _Maybe you won't see me next time then." He couldn't hold it any longer and his frown became a bright smile._

" _Oh please. You would_ _ **DIE**_ _if you didn't get your daily dose of me." Reggie turned back to the female mustela who had placed a paw daintily on her chest and was fluttering her eye lashes. The Weasel snorted and looked away again. He felt a blush growing on his cheeks that he hoped the setting sun was helping to hide. Wanting to change the topic quickly, Reggie's gaze once again fell on the drawing pad._

" _What are you doing?" Crystal's eyebrow rose._

" _Drawing." Reggie once again rolled his eyes._

" _Fine. WHAT are you drawing?"_

" _That's better."_

" _Are you going to tell me?"_

" _Nope!" Reggie huffed in annoyance, the Ferret loved playing games like this._

" _Unless…" Reggie looked back at the female mustela who was bouncing a claw on her lips._

" _Unless?" Reggie pushed. Blue eyes looked directly at the male mustela._

" _You have to give me something." Reggie's eyebrow rose._

" _What like money?" Crystal laughed. Her laughter always sounded beautiful to Reggie, and now with it full of mirth it once again had Reggie blushing. He couldn't remember when something as simple as her laughter did this to him, but it was becoming worse every day._

" _No silly. Not money. I want you to give me something." Reggie frowned and folded his arms. He didn't have anything to give. The money he had was from the gang. He mostly crashed either in the apartment building that Tommy had or in some abandoned structure. Even food was taken care of by simply eating whatever he could get his hands on from the locals in R.F.L. territory. Any material goods he had to his name were with his aunt and uncle all the way in Sahara Square._

" _I don't have anything really." The Weasel said with a shrug. Crystal looked unimpressed._

" _Everyone has something to give. Now think of what you could give me." Reggie looked away and tried to think of something. His mind started to wander back to his childhood. His mother and all the things she said to him. One thing she drilled into her and Mary was that the most important thing you could give another mammal was your word. So whenever you gave a promise you needed to make sure to fulfill it. Reggie realized what he could give her._

" _I can give you a promise." Reggie said finally, looking back at the Ferret. Crystal blinked, and the Weasel thought he may have seen a tint of red on her cheeks, but that must have been the light. She smiled then._

" _Ok Reggie. A promise it is. What will you promise me then?" The male mustela once again had to think. What could Reggie promise? He didn't have any real skills. He couldn't create masterpieces like she could. He couldn't even promise to be there tomorrow. Reggie's life was full of uncertainties and the future always seemed too far away. Reggie then thought of his father and the one thing that he had taught the Weasel. The male mustela straightened up. He looked directly into Crystal's eyes and spoke._

" _I promise that I will protect you. As long as I'm alive I will always be there to keep you from harm." Whatever reaction Reggie was expecting, what Crystal did wasn't it. She clutched her paws to her dirty white t-shirt and smiled softly. A tear started forming in one of her eyes, and a paw came up to wipe it away. The Weasel cringed back._

" _Ticks did I say something wrong? Sorry if I did I-" Reggie started._

" _Oh shush Reggie…You didn't do anything wrong." Crystal responded. Shining blue eyes now looked at the Weasel. "It was just so sweet what you said that's all." Reggie let out a sigh in relief._

" _So what did you draw?" Crystal patted a spot right next to her and Reggie moved to sit next to her. He leaned into her shoulder and felt the soft fur hidden underneath her shirt. Thankfully Crystal couldn't see his face, for Reggie knew that it must have been completely red. The artist revealed her work to the thug._

" _It's a caricature of you." The drawing showed Reggie having a small body and huge head. It showed him in his black pants and shirt attire, but the green stripe down the middle of his shirt looked completely disproportionate to what it actually was. In the picture the Weasel's eyes were bigger than his nose and his muzzle was open showing large almost canine like fangs. A speech bubble next to his head read 'let me brood.' Reggie huffed._

" _This is what I gave you a promise for?" Crystal nodded enthusiastically with a giggle and then gave the Weasel a one armed hug._

" _Yep and you can't take it back!" Reggie let out a sigh, but couldn't stop the smile from forming on his muzzle. He didn't want to take it back anyway._

* * *

 _Time seemed to fly with Crystal. Weeks felt like seconds and quickly turned into months. Reggie never felt so alive. He laughed with her, and he was there when she cried. He offered all the encouragement that he could think of, and did his best to help her when she needed it. Crystal did something that Reggie hadn't done since his mother died. The Ferret had taken the Weasel to explore the Rainforest district. He knew the ground level well enough, but didn't know much on the other levels leading to the canopy. Every free weekend was spent exploring one section at a time, all the way to the top where only the rich could afford to live and splurge. Reggie never removed his gang colors and that led to on more than one occasion the police trying to arrest him or hassle him about something. Crystal always stood by Reggie's side and pleaded his case. Since they never did anything wrong, and only went window shopping, the police would always let him go. Still it annoyed Crystal, but never fazed Reggie._

" _It's not right!" She once yelled after dealing with a rather irate elk officer. The officer decided to frisk Reggie, and when the elk found nothing, made it very clear that the Weasel should leave the area. The male mustela shrugged._

" _It's how its always been." The Ferret wasn't happy with that answer and simply huffed as her response. Even with the nuisance that the police could be, Reggie never frowned when they were exploring. He felt free whenever he left R.F.L. territory. Big Tommy would hint at knowing that Reggie left every now and then, but Reggie would always play it off as seeing his aunt and uncle. The Jaguar was well aware of Reggie's family outside of the Rainforest and would simply give a grunt in response. The Weasel knew he should be reasserting himself back in the gang. Making sure that his position wasn't compromised, but love could blind._

 _That's what Reggie had been feeling, love. Love for Crystal and everything about her. Love for her quirks, her humor, her attitude, love for everything. He wouldn't say it out loud to her though. The Weasel feared what would happen if the Ferret ever found out how much he treasured when she held onto his arm. When she would lean against his shoulder when she was feeling tired. How she would sometimes flick paint onto the tip of his nose and he would have to try and wipe it off. The male mustela feared the day that she would find out. He knew there could be no future between them. Crystal would eventually go off to college or some art school and become great and famous. She would make it out of the ground level and live way up in the canopy one day. Reggie though…Reggie would end up dead in a ditch on the ground level. From a rival gang, the police, or even some mammal trying to climb the ladder up to stand next to Big Tommy. He knew he could give her nothing but his promise, and would cherish these memoires until his final breath._

 _Then that fateful night had to occur. It was actually raining, no sprinkler system but an actual storm. The sky was filled with streaks of lightening and the sound of thunder and Crystal and Reggie laughed moving from one piece of cover to the next. The night had snuck up on the both of them and the Weasel decided to walk Crystal to the train station. He didn't know where she actually lived, and never asked. Al that mattered is that she always came back to him. They were well out of the R.F.L. territory, but it was still a run down neighborhood. No one seemed to be out and about, but that made sense to the Weasel considering the downpour. When they were close to the station, a tall figure stepped out of a nearby alleyway. It was large, dark and feline, but Reggie couldn't fathom who it could be._

" _So this is the slut causing all the trouble." Reggie recognized that voice. Even over the sounds of thunder, the rain drops bouncing off of tin awnings, the Weasel recognized the voice of his boss. Big Tommy. "I was starting to wonder when I would finally meet you." Crystal pressed into Reggie's side and the Weasel shot a protective arm in front of her. Shoulders hunched, and even under the weight of water the male mustela's fur stood on end._

" _How can I help you, Tommy?" Reggie asked, trying to keep the venom out of his voice. The feline approached with arms wide._

" _Well R.J. I wanted to see the lady who was keeping one of my lieutenants away from my side." Tommy started. He then let out a heavy sigh as a predatory smile stayed on his muzzle. "I honestly expected you to rutt her and be done with it. Can't have you being distracted now can I?" Reggie grimaced and pushed Crystal behind him._

" _Let her go home and I'll stay by your side." Reggie said, he couldn't help but feel he was missing something, what it was he wasn't sure. The large cat gave disapproving sound._

" _Oh R.J…. I don't think this partnership can last. I mean if you can be easily swayed by a cheap tail, then how can I trust you?" Reggie growled at Tommy._

" _Fine then! I want out! Take the blood you need." Reggie braced himself. He had signed his own death and knew it, but if Crystal could survive…_

 _Tommy let out a hearty laugh. "I so hoped you would say that! OH ZEEK!" Reggie's eyes went wide. He had realized his mistake. From behind he heard Crystal cry out and then felt something hard hit him from behind. The Weasel fell forward and looked behind him. Zeek had grabbed one of Crystal's arms and pulled it behind her. She was squirming to try to break free. Her eyes were filled with fear, and Reggie tried to stumble to his hind paws. Another blow came that sent Reggie skidding across the ground. He looked to see Big Tommy where he just was. The Jaguar had just kicked the Weasel. Reggie propped himself on his elbows and tried to get up once more. He stumbled forward with his muzzle hitting the wet ground._

" _I would pay attention to this R.J.!" Tommy taunted. Reggie looked up to see the Jaguar holding Crystal by the neck. She squirmed under the large paw of the feline's grip, hind paws flailing and paws trying to remove the gang leader's grip. "Why I think Zeek has been feeling lonely. Isn't that right Zeek?" The honey badger was once again standing next to the Jaguar and gave Reggie a dark grin. Reggie pushed himself up, standing once again on his hind paws, though swaying slightly._

" _Ha! Fat chance of that!" Crystal shouted. The Ferret's tongue seemed no longer tied from the recent events. "I'm more mammal than tiny there could ever hope to handle!"_

" _Crystal, don't!" Reggie yelled. She was just going to anger Tommy and that could only end one way. "I'm the one you want Tommy! Take the blood from me!"_

" _Oh please Reggie" Crystal started once more "this kitty cat is as harmless as a newborn." The Jaguar turned back to look at the Ferret. As soon as he did, Crystal pulled her head back and spit right into Tommy's face. Everything seemed to stop to Reggie. Even the rained seemed to halt momentarily. Zeek looked just as surprised as Tommy and Crystal sported a sly smirk. Then time started back up._

" _New plan R.J." Tommy said evenly "your blood is going to be paid by her."_

" _Wait no!" Reggie shouted. He started running towards the mammals, but Zeek blocked his path and put an arm around the Weasel's throat. The male mustela started to shout. "Take me you rutting bastard!"_

 _A dark grin appeared on the Jaguar's muzzle. Crystal simply looked emotionless. Her paws stopped fighting against the grip and instead braced themselves on Tommy's paw. The feline raised his free paw above his head, a flash of lightening revealed one large claw peeking out of a dark digit. Then in one swift motion it happened. The claw pushed through Crystal's shirt and into her abdomen. Blood started appearing on the white tee she always wore. Reggie couldn't hear anything over the sound of his own heart beating. He had broken Zeek's grip somehow and ran forward towards Tommy. Towards Crystal. Big Tommy simply flicked his wrist and sent the Ferret flying into the alley he had appeared from. Her body seemed to float through the air. Reggie tried to run faster, but the world seemed to pull him back._

 _She hit the ground._

 _Reggie was then right next to her. His right paw pressing into the stab wound. His left arm underneath Crystal's head supporting her. He couldn't fail to keep his promise. He had to succeed. He started to shout._

" _HELP! HELP!"_

* * *

"…Apparently some mammal heard what happened and called the police. They arrived too late. Crystal was already dead. They tried to arrest me for her death. The detectives thought it was an open and shut case, especially if I confessed. I never did."

Reggie had told this story to no mammal before. His aunt, uncle, Mary, no one knew why he came back from the Rainforest District to live with them. Duchess and Mary always assumed that he got tired of getting wet all the time. Duke never spoke of it to Reggie. Instead the first mammal to hear about Crystal was a mammal not too long ago he didn't even consider an acquaintance. He couldn't look at Hopps while he spoke. His tone staying monotone and emotionless as long ago Reggie learned the need to bottle up his emotions. When you could blow you lid and start a deadly fight, the Weasel learned that sometimes it was best to not feel. The problem was that the mustela did feel. He felt every wave of happiness and joy, sadness and heartache. When he remembered his promise his heart soared. When he remembers breaking it, he felt completely crushed. He simply hid his emotions behind a wall of anger. Now though, that it was out in the open, that his feelings and memories were laid bare, Reggie couldn't feel.

It was like something had clogged him up emotionally and if he didn't release it soon it would burst. The Weasel breathed deeply, but still did not look towards the Rabbit.

"I never knew how she felt about me, but I can tell you that I loved her. If that love would have made us a couple, or if it would have simmered into a deep friendship I don't know. I will never know. I will never be able to spend my days growing old watching her paint. I will never be able to see her fur change with age whether lighter or darker. I wasn't able to share my graduation from the police academy, even though she was my reason for joining. She was my reason for pushing past everything thrown at me there and after her death."

Reggie closed his eyes as tears started to form and grimaced. The block was about to be destroyed and all of his emotions were about to flood out. He gripped the window sill harder, felt his claws digging deep scratches into the wood and peeling paint as they shook. Rage was the first emotion to show.

"I broke my promise because of Tommy. I never wanted to break that promise. If I could find that bastard I would make him pay! He would never see the inside of a jail cell because I would skin him alive! Everyone he loved I would take down with him! I WOULD BREAK HIM AND-"

" _OFFICER WEASELTON_!" Hopps shouted, emphasizing his name. Reggie's eyes shot open and he looked back towards the chair. She wasn't there. Quickly the young mustela glanced around the room to find the Rabbit officer standing a few feet away. Her demeanor was one of confidence. Ears erect, eyes with only a slight red rimming, and paws on her hips. All that she was missing was a smile and the Weasel may have assumed she stepped out of a ZPD poster. Hopps stepped forward slowly, and Reggie cringed slightly away. With everything spilling out, the Weasel was afraid of what the officer was about to do. The grey doe saw him cringe and stopped. She then stretched out her arms to the young mustela.

"Permission to hug you." Hopps stated. Reggie blinked.

"What?" Hopps huffed.

"I am asking permission to hug you. I am a senior officer so I will order you if necessary."

" _This must be a joke. A prank. Some way to get back at me for sure. She couldn't want to…"_

"You're serious?" Reggie asked, confusion pushing aside his anger. The Rabbit officer nodded and shuffled closer. Reggie sighed, and then bent down to one knee. He couldn't look at Hopps, a mammal that not too an hour ago he was trying to comfort and who now found it in her heart to reach out to him.

"Granted." Reggie breathed, his head hung low and eyes closed. Then he felt a warm embrace around his head, then around his chest. Finally it stretched to his back and Reggie leaned into Hopps.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you Weaselton." Hopps whispered quietly.

"Reggie." The Weasel mumbled. His forehead resting on the doe's shoulder and his own paws came up to wrap around the smaller mammal.

"Hmm?" Hopps questioned.

"My names Reggie." The mustela felt a small paw and dull claws rake through the fur on the back of his head. Tears were flowing freely from the Weasel, but it felt like he was becoming lighter.

"Ok Reggie…everything's going to be fine." Hopps whispered soothing platitudes to Reggie until the tears stopped. It was then and there that Reggie made another promise. One that was unspoken, but that he would never break. If Hopps needed help, or if she found herself over her ears, he wouldn't hesitate to be there. No matter how bad a situation became, the Rabbit would always find an ally in the Weasel.


	18. Officer Down Part Two

**Hello Readers!**

 **Here's the next installment in A Weasel's Watch! Comment and let me know how the story's going!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Reggie wasn't sure how long Hopps held him, but it was more time than the Weasel would normally be comfortable with. After what felt like an awkward moment of the mustela disengaging from the lapine officer, they both went to their respective spots. The Rabbit back in the chair next to the sleeping Fox, and the Weasel leaning against the now scraped window sill. Even though there was a list for the personal allowed to enter the room, no mammal did so. While the mustela would not voice his growing unease, he hoped that the reason for lack of any nurses or doctors dealt with how stable Wilde's condition was and not some other ulterior motive. He looked over Hopps and noted that she looked exhausted, but the orange light from outside showed enough of her features that the Weasel could make out a faint smile. Sleep started to seem more appealing with each passing minute. The Weasel slept to his five o'clock alarm this morning, and he was glad for it. He didn't check his phone, instead trying to make up for his lost focus on his duty earlier. So the only sound for a long time was the beeping of the medical equipment, only being broken up by a sigh from Hopps or Reggie shifting on his hind paws. With eyes growing heavy, the mustela needed something to keep him from nodding off. As he looked at Wilde's battered form, a question that was only partially answered came to mind.

"What happened?" Reggie asked in a whisper. If Hopps wanted to answer the question then it was fine by him, if she didn't then he wouldn't push it. The Weasel was just grasping for straws. Hopps gave a heavy sigh.

"You remember that information you passed on to us?" Reggie nodded, looking towards the seated lapine. "Well you were right… at least I think you were." Reggie's head tilted in confusion.

"You think I was?" Hopps frowned.

"Nick reached out to some old friends. One's he said he could trust. Found out that in fact 'Gecko' was active again, but not with his usual modus operandi. He, or she, had been robbing the stores, but on their own. They would take out the security feed in each store, and then simply exit out the store through a broken window. Past cases that the 'Gecko' was suspected were always much cleaner, with at least three other mammals involved. Usually store owners would only find out they were robbed after doing inventory. This is different. It almost seemed like…"

"Desperation." Reggie added. Hopps gave a sad smile to the mustela.

"Nick said the same thing." Reggie huffed and folded his arms.

"I'm assuming in some much more snarkier way, with maybe a quip about being late on the bills." Hopps giggled, a paw covering her mouth.

"Actually it was a joke about missing kit support." Reggie rolled his eyes. "Anyway Nick's friend told us to look at the last location hit and wait there. We put in the overtime, grabbed a cruiser and waited." Hopps took a shuddering breath and wrapped her arms around herself. "Something was wrong. Nick knew it, but I didn't listen. I wanted to catch whoever was doing this. I was so focused that I decided to get a better look. That's when…"

"It happened." Reggie added through gritted teeth. His paws were gripping the window sill again, but he was trying to not leave anymore marks.

 _"Another ambush…"_

Hopps nodded, wiping a stray tear rolling down her cheek. Reggie watched the internal struggle of the Rabbit fight back against her emotions, she was losing the fight.

"Hey Hopps" Reggie said, trying to gain the Rabbit's attention. She looked up to the Weasel. "Grab Wilde's paw," Reggie instructed "I don't think he'll mind." Hopps reached out a trembling paw and grabbed the much larger one lying on the bed. He could see the tension slowly leave the lapine as she closed her eyes and squeezed the Fox's paw. Reggie looked away and closed his eyes. It felt like a private moment that he was peeping on. His hearing may not have been good as the Rabbit's but the Weasel kept his ears trained on the breathing of the Rabbit. Slowly it became steady, until Reggie couldn't make it out anymore. He shifted his gaze back to the Rabbit officer. She was looking at Wilde's paw and rubbing it with her own.

"What else happened?" Reggie pushed.

"We exited the cruiser when I saw movement near the building. I was up front, Nick behind me. A figure appeared." Hopps gaze never left the intertwined paws of her and Wilde. "The mammal was small. They were wearing a black hoodie and dark jeans. I saw the gleam of the gun. I shouted…something. There were three shots. Nick pushed me out of the way. I fired back… but missed." She then looked up at Reggie with a blank expression. The Weasel couldn't see what was going through her mind, but if her shaking paws was any indication it wasn't good. "Could it have been a kit?" There was a weakness in her voice when she asked the question, and Reggie didn't know how to respond. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"What else about the mammal?" The Weasel asked. Hopps frowned with her eyes losing focus, the paw not desperately attached to Wilde coming up and rubbing her cheek absentmindedly. Then the lapine refocused, staring directly at the mustela.

"Their tail…" Reggie tilted his head in confusion. "Their tail was big, taller than them, and it looked like a Jaguar's but bigger spots." Reggie hummed in thought, his arms crossing once again.

"If this is 'Gecko' then there is no doubt that it wasn't a kit. From what Duke told me that cat's been around since he has been. If it's was just an ambush then I don't understand why only one mammal and why possibly a kit." Reggie shook his head. "No it must have been 'Gecko', I doubt Wilde would be dumb enough to stay in touch with someone who could double cross him like this." There was a low chuckle that broke Reggie out of his thoughts.

"Dumb fox." He heard Hopps say quietly. The Weasel looked over to see the Rabbit place her head on the paw she had been holding. Her gaze towards the Fox's head, she looked exhausted. That's when Reggie realized that of course she would be exhausted. Twenty three fifteen was definitely over twenty four hours ago, and she hadn't left the vulpine's side. Still Reggie had one last question.

"Hopps?" Reggie started. The Rabbit hummed a response back. "Did you tell this to the detectives?" With her head still lying down she shook her head.

"I don't remember much between when the paramedics arrived and when that officer tried to move me. It's possible, but I'm not really sure." Reggie nodded in understanding.

"It's ok Hopps. I'll pass on the message and let Clawhauser know you're alright."

"Thanks Reggie." Hopps responded through a yawn.

 _"I think a little privacy is in order."_

"Hopps, I'm going to step out into the hallway. Let you get some rest and all." The Rabbit's head rose and a paw rubbed at one of her eyes. She nodded in understanding. Reggie started to walk towards the door, but stopped at the bottom of the bed. His paws clenching then releasing as the Weasel considered if he wanted to say his final thought.

 _"Don't let her make your mistake."_

"Can you promise me that you'll talk to Wilde?" Reggie asked. He couldn't look at Hopps, and instead looked towards the door. There was silence and Reggie finally glanced over at the Rabbit. He saw once again leaning against Wilde's paw, but looking at the mustela instead. She gave him a soft smile.

"I promise…but only if you forgive yourself for Crystal. None of it was your fault." Reggie looked straight forward once more.

"I'll try." He heard Hopps let out a sigh.

"I guess that'll do for now then." Reggie nodded, his paws clenched and shaking.

"Good night Hopps."

"Good night Reggie."

The Weasel reached the door and walked into the hallway, the blinding white light forcing him to close his eyes as he left the two officers to sleep.

* * *

The florescent white lights were bright enough that even when Reggie closed his eyes, he could still see it. That allowed him do rest a bit, leaning next to the side of the door but still remain awake. The hospital was quiet, and if not for the lights he may have drifted off still standing. The silence did help Reggie begin to get his thoughts in order. This post turned out to be much more emotional than he would have ever realized. What was it about Hopps that had him opening up like that? Was it her honesty? Her aura of confidence?

 _"Probably those damn eyes."_

Either way the Weasel was drained and couldn't wait to head back to his apartment, even if it was only to sleep for a handful of hours before heading back in. Reggie slightly dreaded his next work shift. Would Chief find out about him working at the hospital? Would he care? Would he once again put him back on parking duty?

 _"As long as I can let the detectives know what Hopps told me, that'll have to do…"_

The information that Hopps told him was a whole other bucket of worms. Another pair of officers being ambushed with firearms, and Reggie had a gut feeling they were connected somehow. Guns were hard enough to get into Zootopia through customs, let alone into the hands of mammals who either knew how to or were willing to use them. Younger criminals rarely had the capital to buy a firearm and the more established criminals didn't like using them because of the mandatory fifteen year minimum attached to owning a firearm within the city limits. No this smelled dangerous and the usual channels for smuggling were probably not being used.

 _"I might need to reach out to Duke. See if there's any talk about it."_

Reggie opened his eyes and scanned the hallway. A nurse was walking to one of the rooms down the hall and he could hear the phone ringing and being answered at the nurse's station. The Weasel pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time.

 _"One fifty-five. My replacement should be here soon."_

As if on cue, Reggie heard the sound of the elevator chime. He waited a few seconds before looking towards the nurse's station. There stood a large otter in uniform. Reggie frowned.

 _"Definitely not from Precinct Two, and I don't remember him from Precinct One either."_

Reggie started to grow suspicious of the new officer. He pushed himself off the wall, and put his paws on his hips. The Otter walked towards Reggie, a swagger in his gait that irked Reggie. The new officer smiled when he reached the Weasel and reached a paw out.

"Officer Weaselton I presume? Officer Nutria of Precinct Seven. It seems like they don't have enough mammals to come up here." Officer Nutria gave a hearty laugh, but Reggie only gave a blank expression. If the Otter was supposed to be small, then Reggie must be miniscule. Nutria's head scraped the sealing, and it looked like he was slightly hunched over too. Keeping an eye on the still smiling Otter, Reggie pulled out the list of names that was handed to him. Under officers he found Nutria's name, but the Weasel was still apprehensive of the mammal.

"Mind if I see your identification?" The Otter huffed and rolled his eyes, a grin still present, but complied and brought out a plastic Z.P.D. I.D. card and handed it to Reggie. The young mustela looked at the picture and the name and both matched the Otter. With a nod he handed the card back.

"Apologies Officer Nutria, it's been a long night." The Otter shook his head with a smile.

"Don't apologize. You're doing your job, now if you'll excuse me…" Nutria reached for the door handle, but Reggie grabbed his wrist. The Weasel blinked not realizing right away what he did.

"Is something the matter officer?" The tone in the Otter's voice was cold as ice now. Reggie shook his head.

"Hopps...uh…just fell asleep" Reggie started, not really sure where he was going with this. Still with Hopps laying on Wilde like she was, and this Otter officer looking like he may be more than willing to discuss whatever rumor he wanted to make up, it seemed to Reggie the best thing to do was keep the officer out here. Nutria's brow rose questioningly.

"So?"

"So…er…you were told about the officer who tried to move her?" The Otter nodded in recognition, but was still reaching for the handle. "Well imagine what she would do to the officer who woke her up?"

 _"Actually a good excuse."_

It seemed to work as understanding flashed through Nutria's eyes and he moved his paw away from the handle. Reggie let go and sighed internally.

"I would stand out here…no one seems to be in a rush to get in the room." Nutria frowned.

"How do I know they're still alive unless I check?"

 _"That's…a good question."_ Reggie frowned, then quietly grabbed the handle for the door and slowly turned it. Opening it slightly to reveal the room, the light falling past the chair and onto the head of the bed, Reggie heard the medical equipment still at work. He could feel Nutria slightly over him as the large otter peaked through. He heard the officer take in a breath, about to speak, when a loud snore interrupted the Otter. Reggie, now smiling, closed the door slowly, and then released the handle. He looked back at the older officer and saw the Otter frowning.

"Was that Hopps snoring?" Reggie shrugged his shoulders, smile still in place.

"What can I say? She's an aggressive sleeper."

 _"Oh this night is getting to me."_

Nutria grinned at Reggie's statement. The Weasel handing the larger mammal the list, much nicer than Faircutter did for him.

"Have a good night officer." Reggie said, heading towards the elevator.

"Enjoy some sleep Weaselton!" Reggie heard Nutria call out, the mirth once again back in his voice. How any animal could be this happy this late the mustela would never know.

* * *

Reggie finally exited the hospital. After checking out with a Sergeant from Precinct Two, the Weasel started to make his way home. Still in uniform, but having no desire to head back to Precinct One until some sleep, Reggie walked towards his apartment. Sahara Square being much cooler at night than during the day, the dry air that was pumped out by the climate walls still felt stifling to breathe at times. Tonight Reggie couldn't think about that. With one exhausted step after another the Weasel made the journey back to his apartment. It was only twelve blocks away, something that the mustela on any other night could knock out quite easily, but after close to 24 hours without sleep, Reggie's body was dragging. So much so that it wasn't until he stopped at a crosswalk that he noticed a limousine next to him. The Weasel frowned at the vehicle. The neighborhood he was in would not see anything like this, so what was it doing now?

To answer Reggie's internal thoughts a door opened behind the Weasel. Slowly turning around to look at the exiting mammal, the mustela was met with two large, white legs. His gaze following the legs up to a dark jogging suit, slightly unzipped revealing a black undershirt. A gold circular medallion hung around the neck of what Reggie was only starting to realize was a very large Polar Bear. The gaze of the bear was focused on the young mustela. Too tired to comprehend what was happening, the Weasel didn't notice another mammal behind him until a shadow covered the young officer completely. Looking up, Reggie only saw the black inside of what he could only assume was a large bag. The bag quickly descending on Reggie, the mustela officer had only one thought.

 _"Oh Rutt."_

* * *

Reggie's world went from the warm night of Sahara Square, to a cold black bag. Panic broke through his exhaustion and the Weasel struggled in the bag. Turning and clawing as best as he could, but the fabric wouldn't rip in his claws. What felt like an eternity and the top of the bag was opened. Acting quickly the mustela scrambled out of the opening, only to be grabbed by a large paw from behind. Once again the Weasel twisted and tried to claw at the larger paw, only for him to swing to and fro.

"Hello!" said a squeaky voice. Reggie stopped his struggle and looked around. Still panicking, but starting to calm down, Reggie noticed that the limousine was lit by a light blue light in the middle with a dark red interior. A mixture of smells assaulted his nose, but the mustela could smell a female arctic Shrew was also present. Polar Bears, the freezing conditions of the limousine, and a glass tumbler with an engraved 'B' on it, there was no question to the Weasel who had picked him up. Still he had thought that Mr. Big was…well a mister and not a miss.

"What's going on?" Reggie asked. He never had any dealings with the Big family, but he was well aware of the deal that his father accepted from Mr. Big. Reggie shook that thought aside. "My name is Reginald C. Weaslton and I am an officer of the law and this is kidnapping!" He was surrounded by three large Polar Bears, one on each side of him and one on a bench in front of him. The one in front of him had his paw held out, and Reggie could slightly make out something small in the bear's paw. His nose told him that the Shrew was in that direction, it was a good guess. A feminine giggle came out from in front of him.

"Oh my gawd! A weasel in the Zee Pee Dee!? I never thought I'd see the day!" Reggie gritted his teeth from the comment and folded his arms. Hanging in the air from a large paw did not allow the mustela to take any form of intimidating pose. Being surrounded by three large bears didn't help either. Still the Weasel wasn't going to make whatever the captors wanted easily. Reggie breathed deeply before speaking calmly.

"Madam, kidnapping an officer is a serious crime with a sentence of up to twenty years in prison. I'd advise you to let me go now or face the full weight of the Zootopian Police Department." Reggie heard tiny giggling once again. His gaze narrowed on the tiny figure.

 _"What is going on?"_

"Oh honey this isn't a kidnapping!" The Weasel responded with a snort. "I'm serious! No, we are just giving you a ride!" The mustela leered at the shadowy Shrew.

"A ride? Where? To a cold coffin!?" Reggie spat out the last part, his fur standing on end and tail sticking straight out.

"Oh no!" the hidden figure squeaked "daddy hasn't done that in years now."

"So what is it then? Want me to get rid of evidence? Are you going to threaten my family? I'LL DIE BEFORE I DO ANYTHING FOR YOU!?" Whatever calm demeanor Reggie tried to compose earlier broke with his final statement. Spit flew from his muzzle as he once again twisted in the Polar Bear's grip. The Weasel would never help the Big's, and if that meant an early end to his career than Reggie was willing to pay the price. Another paw came up and grabbed the mustela around the waist to straighten him out. Immediately the young officer tried to push out of the new grip, but being held from above and below gave him no leverage to do so. He heard a tiny sigh.

"Officer Weaselton was it?" Reggie focused back on the large open paw from the other Polar Bear. "I can tell you that all I want to do is help." The Weasel huffed and folded his arms once more.

"With what then?" Reggie asked, deciding that playing along may end better than his continued struggle. There was silence at first from the shrew with only the sound of shifting fabric from the Bear to Reggie's right.

"How's Judy?" the tiny figure finally asked. The Weasel frowned.

 _"Judy…who's...Hopps!"_

"I'm not going to tell you." This could have been a way for the most powerful crime family in Zootopia to take out two officers. Reggie would not let that happen. What he wasn't expecting was the answer the shrew gave him.

"Please…" said the diminutive voice "she hasn't responded to **_ANY_** of my texts and the news is saying such **_HORRIBLE_** things. How is Nicky? Is Judy ok? Please tell me!" She sounded genuine to the Weasel and seemed to know both the Fox and the Rabbit, but he needed more before Reggie said anything. The arctic shrew could be lying.

"Prove to me that you know Ho-…er…Judy and I'll tell you what I can." This seemed like the safest route to the Weasel, and if the proof was sketchy than he could lie as well.

"I can do that! Kevin, bring me over!" The Polar Bear in front of Reggie leaned forward, open paw coming under the light. The mustela finally saw the voice that was speaking. The arctic shrew had large black fur on her head with bangs down the side of her face that contrasted with her light brown fur. She was wearing a simple cut black dress and her sea foam green eyes shone in the light. She motioned silently behind her and the Polar Bear she called Kevin brought his other paw forward, holding a Bear sized black phone. The shrew started tapping on the phone. "Now hold on…just logging into Furbook…and there we go!" The phone was turned to Reggie to reveal a photo. In the photo was the same shrew hugging the cheek of Hopps with the Rabbit's paw around the tiny mammal. In the Rabbit's other paw sat an even tinier arctic Shrew. All three mammals had broad smiles on their faces.

"That's us at my daughter JuJu's birthday. Judy is her godmother and even though she doesn't make much being a cop and all she always seems to know what my little girl wants. She's like a sister to me...so please…" Reggie heard the tiny mammal sniff and the phone was removed from his view. He saw the Shrew tearing up, and the paw that used to hold the phone now gently brought a Shrew sized tissue. The Weasel sighed.

"If what you tell me is true…then why haven't you stopped by the hospital or Precinct One?" As soon as the question left Reggie's mouth he knew it was a dumb question. The Arctic Shrew chuckled.

"Daddy's business is more legal than what it was, however that doesn't mean the Z.P.D. likes him or anyone associated with the family. Judy kept her relation to us a secret, but that was only after me and Nicky talked to her and told her it was for the best for now. She isn't ashamed of knowing us, though I know she isn't happy with daddy's past business dealings. That's why he's cleaned up a lot and that she could always be around little JuJu." Reggie frowned at the term 'business dealings' but wasn't going to fight about it.

"She's doing alright…physically at least."

"And Nicky?" Reggie held back a sneer at the nickname for the Fox.

"He's stable and he'll recover to annoy mammals near him once more." The shrew jumped up and down and clapped her paws, laughing all the while.

"I'm **_SO_** happy to hear that!" the Shrew stopped her jumping and clasped her paws in front of her. "Now officer, I have a reward for you?" Reggie's brow rose in suspicion.

"What may that be?"

"Nothing bad I promise!" The tiny mammal said, waving a paw at the mustela, "its information." Reggie cocked his head in confusion.

"About the shooting?" The Shrew nodded in confirmation. "Well what is it?"

"I know who the shooter is!" Reggie blinked.

"Seriously?" She nodded once more.

"It was 'Gecko'!" The Weasel rolled his eyes at the information.

"We know that already."

"Not who he is, correct?" This time Reggie nodded. "His name is Jacob Meocam. I don't know his home address, but you shouldn't look there anyway."

"Why not?"

"Because he's already trying to get out of the city and he already left his apartment."

"So where then?"

"Weeeellll," the Shrew dragged out the word, a tiny digit bouncing on her cheek "what I do know is he has a nasty habit. He loves poppy too much."

"How does that help me?" Reggie asked with a shrug. There were tons of opium dens around the city and even the Z.P.D. couldn't check them all. It would be like looking for a specific needle in a needle stack.

"Oh don't worry. I think I know where he is."

"So where?" Reggie was starting to lose his patience with the seeming circular conversation.

"Meocam has only one dealer that he goes to, a Yak by the name of Jak Woolty. All I know about him is that he's somewhere in the Rainforest District." The Weasel was stunned. This information, if true could blow open the case.

"Why didn't you tell the Z.P.D. sooner?" Reggie had to know why this information was held back. The small female sighed.

"We **_DID_** try, but when an anonymous tip didn't work and a messenger couldn't' talk to **_ANY_** mammal about the information we had daddy decided it was too much for the police." The Shrew brought her paws in front of her in a pleading fashion. "That's why I'm here! Daddy said that if the police didn't catch Meocam he would and if he does that he's going to **_ICE_** him! Judy would have to arrest daddy and then JuJu would lose her grandfather and her godmother!" The Shrew started to weep. Reggie brought a paw forward, extending a digit to the crying mammal. The young officer felt the grip from the Polar Bear holding him tighten, but he continued forward. The tiny female noticed the Weasel reaching out to her and brought her gaze back to Reggie.

"Ma'am" Reggie started, giving as sympathetic of a look as any mammal could give in the grip of a Bear "I can't promise that anyone will listen to me, but I will try to make them listen." The tiny mammal reached out and clasped Reggie's claw with both paws, shaking it with all of her might.

"Oh thank you! Thank you so much! I don't know how I could repay you!"

"I'm not doing it for you." Reggie stated bluntly. All the good feeling that started to surround the smallest mammals vanished in an instant.

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't want anything to do with your family" Reggie began, feeling the need to clarify what he was doing "I hope to never see you or any of your associates again. I hope that one day I will find the evidence that destroys your father's entire organization. I am not a friend." The young officer breathed deeply before continuing. "I'm doing this for Hopps. If what you're saying is true, then Hopps wouldn't want your father to take matters into his own paws. Therefore I will do what I can." The Shrew released Reggie's claw and folded her paws in front of her.

"I can respect that Officer Weaselton," the tiny female started "I hope that in the years to come you see the change that daddy is doing."

 _"I hope so too…"_ Reggie wouldn't voice his thought. In fact he selfishly wanted the Shrew to be lying to him about the change, to have a chance to take down Mr. Big. The Weasel was broken from his thoughts by the sound of knocking behind Kevin. The female smiled.

"Well officer this is your stop." One last question bothered the mustela.

"Hang on…why did you grab me?" The Shrew shrugged with a mischievous grin on her muzzle.

"All the other officers left in cruisers or with others. I don't doubt that daddy's associates could have taken them, but that would have cause more trouble." Reggie rolled his eyes.

"So I was just an opportunity."

"Basically." Reggie didn't know whether to feel insulted that he was considered the safer choice to grab, or worry that the Big's may know now that he lives close to the hospital. The limousine came to a stop, and the paw on his lower half released him.

"I hope you succeed Officer Weaselton!" The Shrew said with a wave "Have a good rest of your morning!"

"Wait, where am I?" Reggie asked with some desperation. He hadn't learned where they were taking him. The Shrew simply grinned as the Polar swung the mustela to the door. It opened in front of Reggie before he was placed on the pavement. The Weasel stumbled a bit, being held in the air temporarily weakened his legs, but it would be fine in time. As the limousine pulled away Reggie started to look around to take in his surroundings. Everything looked familiar, and when he turned back to where the limo had just been he knew where he was. In front of the young officer was Precinct One building. Reggie clapped his paws together and headed for the door.

 _"Time to get to work."_


	19. Officer Down Part Three

**Hello Readers,**

 **This is the final installment for "Officer Down", but fear not! More chapters are on the way! As always enjoy!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Over three hours. That's how long Reggie had been working piling all the information he could on the two suspects, Jacob Meocam and Jak Woolty. If what Miss Big had told Reggie was correct, then he would need all of what he could get his paws on to prove that 'Gecko' was Meocam. Still he wasn't sure it would be enough. Would the detectives turn away some rookie? Would the Chief be willing to listen if it came down to it? What was he to do if none of them acted? These and many more anxieties fluttered in and out of the young officer's mind as he continued to work. With Snarlov not being there, and Reggie knowing the password to both of the computers anyway, the Weasel used the two Bears computers to his fullest ability. Using Grizzoli's to look up Meocam and Snarlov's to look up Woolty, he scampered between the two adjoining desks.

The Weasel didn't find too much on Meocam. Age 47, species Marbled Cat, the feline spent five years in prison for a drug possession charge and just this year was released. Other than the charge he was found guilty of, his record was clean. Checking with the last robbery suspected to have been perpetrated by 'Gecko', there was over a five year gap between that crime and the first one committed in Savannah Central. It wasn't much to go off of, but it did open the door for suspicion against the feline.

 _"I just need to convince them to find Meocam, if not Big will…"_

Jak Woolty was a different story. Snarlov's computer was having difficulty loading all of the information on the Yak. The earliest crime noted was petty theft, but the list went on and on. Each new crime showing Reggie the downward spiral that the Woolty had been most of his life. Only 33 years of age, but spent at least eighteen of them in jail or juvie. The Yak's final charge was a drug possession charge where he was sentenced to three years, yet only served sixteen months before being paroled. The arrest record showed enough to put the Yak away for a decade, yet the attorney on the case lessened the charges. Reggie frowned.

 _"If he is a dealer, than just possession charge doesn't make sense."_ The mustela rubbed a paw from his throat to the tip of his muzzle in thought. His gaze starting to blur, Reggie blinked then tried to stifle a yawn. Cracking his neck, the young officer decided coffee would be a necessity for today. He was already over 24 hours without sleep, and he hadn't even started his shift for the day. The Weasel jumped off Snarlov's desk and headed for the break room.

 _"Would be easier if they just snitched on each other."_ Reggie thought with a chuckle. Another yawn came, and the officer covered his muzzle with a paw, closing his eyes. A memory from years ago drifted into his mind. The mustela's eyes shot open.

 _"Fleas and Ticks that's it!"_

The Weasel rushed to the break room to grab a big coffee. The sun was starting to rise, and Reggie knew his day had just begun.

* * *

"What do you mean they aren't here!?" Reggie yelled. The coffee had filled him the necessary energy to put all the information together, but he couldn't stop shaking. The female kudo sitting behind the front desk still wasn't looking at the Weasel and continued to leaf through a magazine.

"Like I said before, Detective's Zirafa and Blackpaw are not here at the moment." The kudo replied. Other than the answer nothing from the desk officer noted the irate officer.

"Ok what about the Chief? Or Assistant Chief? A Lieutenant or even a Sergeant?"

"None of them are present."

"Well where are they?" Reggie pressed through gritted teeth. He had lost too much time and the mustela wasn't sure how much time he had before Mr. Big acted. For all he knew the old gangster already had Meocam, but the young officer couldn't think like that. There was still a chance. The desk officer now looked at the Weasel with a blank expression.

"That's confidential information dealing with an ongoing investigation." Reggie scoffed with a sneer and motioned up and down his uniform.

"What? Do you think I'm playing cop today?" She was starting to get to the Weasel. Normally it would take more than being pushed aside, but lack of sleep as well as the consequences if he fails led to the young officer having a shorter fuse than normal. The kudo sniffed.

"I don't remember having any Weasel officers here," she looked up and down the small mammal's uniform "especially one that's a complete mess as you." Reggie's eye twitched at her comment, and now he wasn't sure if he was shaking from the caffeine or anger. The Weasel brought a shaking paw up and pointed a claw at the larger mammal.

"Now you listen to me you big eared, hornless, striped motherrutte-"

"Weaselton!" A familiar voice yelled behind the young officer. Turning around, but keeping his digit still in the Kudo's face, Reggie saw Snarlov walk towards the two officers and felt relieved at the sight of the older officer.

"Snarlov! Oh Fleas I'm glad you're here!" Reggie shouted. Seeing the Bear had the Weasel temporarily forgetting the rude kudo officer and he jump off the front desk and rushed towards the ursine. Quickly scampering up the large mammal, Reggie grabbed Snarlov by the collar of the old t-shirt the bear was wearing. The surprised look on the veteran officer didn't deter the mustela. "I need your help."

Snarlov frowned "You're early?"

"Listen to me Snarlov! I need your help!"

"Did go home at any point last night?"

"No, but that's not the point. I need to find someone to tell them what I found out."

"You smelled like you bathed in coffee. How much have you had?"

"Just one cup, but it was large mammal size, and we're getting off topic!" Reggie's voice was rising again. Snarlov's eyes grew wide.

"That's sixty ounces of coffee! How have you not had a heart attack? You need to calm down Weaselton or el-"

"Gregor!" Reggie shouted, moving one of paws to the top of the Bear's muzzle pushing it down. The twitch of the ursine's lips told the Weasel how much the other officer wanted to snarl. "We don't have time for twenty questions. If we don't do something soon then Tundra Town could turn upside down. Bad Old Days type upside down. I need you to trust me when I say we need to find a ranked officer! I promise to explain everything on the way." The veteran officer didn't respond, the bear's eyes drilling into the young officer. The Weasel hoped that Snarlov would believe him. Finally the large officer nodded and Reggie removed his paw from the top of the ursine's muzzle. Snarlov looked past the mustela.

"Are there no ranked officer's here?" the bear asked directly behind Reggie towards the desk officer. He didn't see her response, but the snarl on the ursine's lips and the grumblings with the phrase "…useless rankies…" suggested to the Weasel that in fact no one was here. The bear shifted his gaze back to Reggie. "Give me three minutes to get changed. I'm assuming we are going to need a cruiser?" Reggie nodded. "Alright then. Hey what's your face? Give _Officer_ Weaselton keys to car 54. Got it?" The mustela looked back to the kudo. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, but she reached down and grabbed something. The jingling of keys told Reggie she did as told. "Now" Snarlov said. The Weasel felt a large paw grab him by the back of his uniform and lift him the Bear. Snarlov bent down a bit before dropping Reggie onto his hind paws. "I gotta get dressed. Go start up the cruiser and get ready to start explaining."

Reggie beamed "You got it!" The ursine nodded before jogging to the locker room. Reggie ran back to the front desk and pulled himself back up to the top. Grabbing the keys lying on the desk, the Weasel gave a mock salute to the desk officer and smirked.

"Thank you for your assistance." The kudo huffed and stared daggers at Reggie, who jumped back down to get to the cruiser.

* * *

"So you're telling me that this Meocam, who you believe is 'Gecko', is the one who shot Wilde?" Snarlov was driving the large cruiser to the destination that Reggie had given him. Unlike like their patrols before, the Weasel was seated and leaning his head back against the seat. The coffee was starting to wear off and the young mustela was feeling it difficult to keep his eyes open. With a shake of his head, Reggie nodded then looked back at the ursine.

"My informant told me as much, though they didn't tell me why he did it." Snarlov huffed.

"How does your uncle know about this?"

Reggie shook his head. "It wasn't my uncle, and honestly I don't think you would believe me if I told you." Snarlov chuckled and shook his large head.

"Weaselton, I've been around longer than you. _Nothing_ surprises me anymore." Reggie frowned in thought. The anonymous tip that was given by the Big's only suggested looking into Meocam and Woolty, but didn't explain all the information the Weasel was given. Reggie sighed.

 _"Need to at least tell him…"_

"Ok…it was the…uh…Big family…" The last part Reggie said in a whisper. Even still the cruiser jerked left before straightening back out forcing the Weasel to brace himself in his seat.

"I'm sorry I must have misheard you. Because I **_KNOW_** you're not stupid enough to listen to the word of a mobster!" Snarlov growled. His voice rose as the bear spoke and Reggie involuntarily shrank from the larger mammal. The Weasel couldn't reveal _why_ he believed Miss Big, it would put Hopps in jeopardy, but he needed the ursine to believe him as well. The cruiser came to a stop. Snarlov sighed and turned towards Reggie.

"What if this is just a way for us to take out competition? What if it's a trap? How can we be su-"

"I am!" Reggie pleaded. They couldn't stop, they needed to keep going. Snarlov opened his muzzle, but the Weasel jumped in. "I can't explain why, but I promise you that in **THIS** case we can trust the Big's. We **NEED** too! You know me Snarlov; I wouldn't be pushing this if I didn't think it was true!"

"You say that Reggie, but how can I trust that they aren't using you?"

"Snarlov," Reggie started, the Weasel placed a paw over his heart. "I promise you…that if the information is wrong…if this is anything other than what I was told…I'll-" the mustela breathed deeply trying to calm his shaking body, "…I'll turn in my badge…" The paw over his heart moved to clutch his badge urgently, fearing that it may disappear from where it was pinned. The older officer sighed heavily and turned back to face forward.

"Are we…are we still going?" Reggie asked hesitantly. The Bear glanced over to the Weasel and smirked.

"It's just a red light Weaselton. We already started this journey, but I needed to know how much you trusted this info." The ursine then turned forward and started the cruiser forward once more. Reggie couldn't help but start to feel emotional. He made two promises in the span of 30 seconds and one of them would end his career if he was wrong. The Weasel closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

 _"It's almost over Regg…get it together."_

"…So this is Meocam's address?" Snarlov asked. Reggie wiped a paw over his eyes, pushing down the growing tears.

"Uh no…it's Woolty's address. I think the Big's already checked Meocam's and didn't find him."

"What makes you think that Woolty knows anything?" Snarlov inquired.

"The Big's told me that Woolty is Meocam's dealer." Reggie grinned smugly "And I have a feeling that the Yak will tell us everything he knows." Snarlov shot a questioning glance to the Weasel who simply held his smile. The Bear shook his head and huffed.

"Alright Weaselton, what else do I need to know?"

* * *

On the drive to Woolty's address Reggie told Snarlov everything he could think of. All the information that Hopps had told him, being "picked up" by the Big's and his reasoning for thinking that Woolty would talk.

"So the Yak's a snitch huh?" Snarlov asked. Reggie nodded.

"Reading the arrest report it didn't make sense to me that someone caught with a half pound of poppy seeds could be only given three years, but then it hit me." Reggie said looking at the Bear "I remembered four years ago all of those drug busts that happened in the Rainforest District. Dealers being picked up like crazy, politicians pushing their hard stance on drugs, and all of this happened just after he was arrested." Reggie smirked "The Yak's a snitch and if he thinks that he's going to go down for assisting in a zooicide, than he's going to sing like a canary." The ursine smiled a predatory grin showing off all of his teeth.

"I'm only going to say this once Weaselton so remember it. You've gotten good." The mustela looked away embarrassed and rubbed the back of his head. He still had a long way to go, but Snarlov never gave compliments freely. They finally pulled up to the address.

"Seven thirteen vine street. This is the address right?" Snarlov asked, looking towards the Weasel. Reggie nodded.

"Woolty has no reason to think we would be looking for him. It's also still very early and I have never known dealers to roll out of bed early." The Weasel opened his door and stepped onto the street. Their usual patrol didn't put them this deep into the Rainforest District, so it had been several years since the mustela had been on this street.

 _"Some things never change…_ " Reggie lamented looking at the old row homes surrounding the officers. Unlike where he met Crystal these houses seemed to have occupants. Vegetation still grew on the structures, but there was evidence of mammals fighting back against the encroaching nature. The address for Woolty's residence was a newer looking apartment complex. Newer in the sense that the bricks didn't look as faded and there wasn't as much grime on the windows compared to houses around it. Weaselton walked around the cruiser to stand next to the Bear looking at the complex.

"Well it looks like I'll have to duck my head, but I should be able to get in there" Snarlov grumbled, Reggie nodded and stepped towards the front door. A large paw was placed on his shoulder.

"Hold on Weaselton. There's an alley behind the building. I want you to head there and make sure Woolty doesn't slip out the back." Reggie turned towards the ursine to protest, but as he turned the Weasel found his vision spinning and had to rebalance himself. A paw to his eyes he shook his head and looked at Snarlov. In the eyes of the veteran officer he saw concern. Reggie's sleep deprived brain started to put the pieces together.

 _"I could be a liability if things go south…"_

Reggie frowned. "What if Woolty is armed? What happens if things go bad?" Snarlov gave a toothy grin reminiscent of Grizzoli's. "I think I can handle it Weaselton. You make sure he can't escape." Reggie sighed but nodded in agreement. As the ursine headed towards the front door, the mustela jogged around the block to cover.

 _"I hope nothing goes bad…"_

* * *

Reggie leaned against the back of a row home opposite of the apartment complex. The alleyway turned out to be a small one-way street that separated row homes from one another. There were several metal trash cans scattered throughout the alley with litter on the ground as well. The apartment had a black painted fire escape that look like it attached to the hallway each of the four floors. The Weasel felt his eyes growing heavy as time passed. Humidity still low this early in the Rainforest District with the sun heating up the streets the warmth surrounded the young officer like an old blanket. Reggie tried to stifle a yawn, but it overtook his muzzle and stretched it to its limit. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, the officer wasn't sure how much time had passed since Snarlov entered the apartment. The Weasel kept his radio turned all the way up in case the older officer called for him. Still his eyes drooped and the mustela leaned his head against the wall enjoying the respite.

The sound of glass breaking had the young officer's eyes shooting open. Looking at the complex Reggie saw that a black duffel bag had been thrown from the inside out onto the fire escape, followed by a mammal diving through the opening and landing on the bag. The mammal wasn't a Yak or a bear, but a feline wearing only wearing black shorts. The cat scrambled and grabbed the bag it was laying on. Just as he was about descend the staircase, the upper half of Snarlov appeared through the window with a roar. A large paw from the Bear swiped at the feline who dodged by jumping over the railing of the fire escape and clutching to the sides. The veteran officer tried to push his large form through the window, but it was just small enough where he couldn't slip past the frame.

"Weaselton!?" yelled Snarlov before disappearing from the window. Adrenaline pumping, Reggie grabbed for his tranq pistol, only to still find his holster empty.

 _"I never grabbed it!"_

Frantically the Weasel pawed for his baton, his paw cuffs, anything of use. He found both items missing and the only items he had on him were the triage kits. The mustela even just noticed that he was missing his Kevlar vest underneath his uniform. Reggie stole a deep breath from his panicking state.

 _"Parking Duty…no need for those items…oh Rutt me…"_

The Weasel watched as the feline, who he could only assume was Meocam, threw the duffel bag down to the alley. A resounding thud told the young officer how heavy the bag must be. The young officer watched wide eyed as the mammal, still hanging off the side of the fire escape, turned around and climbed down the escape upside down. Reggie pushed himself off the wall and quietly stepped towards the feline. The mammal didn't seem to notice the mustela as he hung off the fire escape just above the ground and let go, landing on his hind paws with grace and back facing the approaching officer.

"Jacob Meocam?" Reggie inquired, one paw hovering over his empty holster and the other in front of him as he approached the cat. The feline heard the Weasel and turned around. Now in the sunlight, the officer saw the features of the cat. The cat's round head was patterned with black stripes on the neck, back and rounded ears. His limbs and underbelly had solid brown spots all over, with the sides having darker fur seeming to connect the spots together. Between the spots was a lighter brown mixed with grey. The tail almost seemed to be a thick as the cat's head and was as long as its body. It had the same pattern as the rest of the body, but also included black spots on some of the solid brown ones. Reggie now understood why the feline could have been confused for a kit as the mammal seemed slightly shorter than the Weasel.

The officer's trained eyes also noticed something about the cat's fur, it was falling out. Where solid spots should have been, there was a thinning in the mammals' coat that showed flesh underneath. The cat's tail was bald at the tip and some of the black sports were losing color. There were dark bags underneath the light grey eyes of the suspect. A paw unconsciously came up and started to rub the opposite arm as fur flew off of the small mammal's body. The cat smiled revealing larger canines than expected for such a small mammal.

"Rrricky is that you?" the feline asked rolling the 'R'. Reggie froze. The cat spread his arms wide "Come now Rrricky, it's me! Old Jake! " Reggie forced himself to take another step, keeping his eyes on focused on Jacob, as a slight tremor shook through his arms. The felon frowned.

"No that's not rrright….Rrricky's dead…" the marbled cat's eyes narrowed on the Weasel "who arrre you then?"

"Jacob Meocam" Reggie started "you are wanted for questioning by Precinct One Z.P.D." The feline seemed to understand the situation, and a questioning brow rose.

"Well officerrr I don't have anything to say to the Z.P.D." Gaining his confidence once more, Reggie spoke through gritted teeth.

"That wasn't a request."

"Well then," the feline said, slowly crouching towards the duffel bag, "I have no choice." Meocam reacted quickly, ducking down and trying to unzip the bag. Reggie rushed forward, only a few feet away. The feline turned, the Weasel saw the glint of metal, trying to aim something at Reggie. The officer's left paw grabbed the wrist of the feline. A loud 'pop' echoed through the alley way as flying cement landed on Reggie's hind paws. Meocam tried to turn the gun towards the young officer, but Reggie countered by throwing his right shoulder right into the feline's chest. Caught off guard and stepping backwards, the felon couldn't react fast enough when the officer kicked him right in the knee. The cat buckled as the mustela twisted the wrist holding the gun downwards, causing a painful cry to come from Meocam. The gun fell to the ground, but before Reggie could detain the felon a blow to the back of his own knee had the officer falling forward.

The Weasel felt the feline clamoring over him towards the discarded gun. Reggie threw an elbow into the side of the felon as he tried to turn to face Meocam. Using his lithe frame to his advantage, the mustela was able to turn, but as he did his arms were pinned above his head. The officer found himself muzzle to muzzle to the snarling feline.

"Stop it Rrricky!" Meocam snarled, once again revealing his large fangs. Reggie's eye twitched at his father's name. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Maybe it was the emotional night with Hopps, or the stress from the ride with the Big's. Maybe it was simply the rude desk officer. All Reggie knew was that he had enough, and this cat was the breaking point. Reggie spoke with a growl.

"My name isn't Rick," Reggie said, his body shaking underneath the feline. The officer's rage starting to boil over, a grin threatening to take over his muzzle was turned into a grimace. The Weasel could see Meocam misinterpret his shaking, believing that Reggie was afraid. It was far from the truth. The cat opened his mouth to speak, and the mustela struck. Planting his left hind paw in the ground, and bringing his right knee closer to the feline's midsection, the officer twisted his hips and struck his knee into the side of the cat. With a grunt Meocam shifted, giving Reggie enough room to break his right paw from Meocam's grip and strike the felon right in the muzzle. The cat rolled to the Weasel's left, but the mustela jumped to his hind paws. Off balance still from the blow to the muzzle, Meocam swiped with his right paw at Reggie. The officer caught his paw against his body and grimaced when the cat's claws dug into his side. Wrapping his left arm around the feline's arm, the mustela dug his left paw claws into the cat's should and started bending the felon's elbow in. Meocam tensed under the pressure and his muzzle shot open in a silent cry.

"My name isn't Rick," Reggie repeated, his eyes going wide and a broad grin on his face. Head tilting slightly, he raised his clenched right paw level with his shoulder. The grey eyes of the feline looked at the Weasel with a sliver of fear. "It's Reggie" the mustela finished. He then brought his paw down striking the feline muzzle, and then brought it back up. He struck again. And again. And again. And again. Each blow given in silence as Reggie continued to grin. Only the sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed in the alleyway. With each strike cat eyes seemed to glaze over more and more. Blood started to seep from the feline's nose as it became more and more crushed. Eventually there was no tension left in Meocam's body and Reggie let the marbled cat go. The felon slumped to the ground, eyes not focusing on anything and shallow breaths being taken. Reggie clenched and unclenched his paws as he tried to calm himself down. Slowly his grin faded and his eyes relaxed, the Weasel's muscles feeling weighed down from the fight. Heavy breathing and footsteps could be heard behind the Weasel. He turned and saw Snarlov barreling towards the Weasel. Stopping short of the young officer, the older officer doubled over trying to catch his breath.

"Weasel...hah…ton…huh…are…you…ok?" Snarlov asked. It had been a long day and night and it finally seemed to be ending. Reggie sighed heavily and gave a half-hearted shrugged. "I'm tired and I want to go home." The Bear chuckled and shook his head. "Well we got him. Go ahead and cuff him Weaselton. You earned it." Reggie looked away, started fiddling with his claws. "Yeah about that…I kind of…may have…accidently forgot my gear in my locker." Reggie squeaked out the last part and lowered his head. He glanced back at the ursine to see Snarlov back to his full height, arms crossed and frowning deeply. "You did what?"


	20. An Ursine's Urging

**Hello Readers,**

 **This is a change of perspective focusing on Snarlov instead of Reggie. Let me know what you think. As always enjoy!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Gregor was disappointed in Weaselton. The ursine had drilled it into the young officer's head the importance of having your equipment. Other officers may have forgiven the young officer considering the lack of sleep the mustela had been working off of, but Gregor knew those excuses only end in dead officers and somber families. An officer coming into contact with any form of firearm was rare with some going their entire careers without seeing any. Weaselton surviving not one, but two instances with suspects having firearms was amazing to the veteran officer. The fool of an officer had once again gotten lucky. The fact that Meocam was hiding out in Woolty's apartment was also lucky, but the older officer decided to chalk that one up to good information.

After securing the semi-conscious marbled cat, and calling an ambulance to check on the bloodied felon, the two officers searched the contents of the duffel bag. They found it filled with stolen jewelry, some of them still with the tags of their respective stores. The firearm located a few feet away from the struggle between Weaselton and Meocam could be the weapon used against Wilde, or it could be a coincidence. That was forensics job, but Woolty seemed to support the former. As Weaselton had guessed, once Meocam was in cuffs Woolty wouldn't shut up. He told Gregor everything about the marbled cat. What he did, how many times he came by for a fix, even what the cat's shirt size was. Why that last point was important to the investigation the Brown Bear couldn't say, but he noted it anyway. Everything all said and done it should have been an open and shut case. Once Wilde woke up hopefully he would be able to identify the shooter and Meocam would be spending over twenty years in prison easily. So Gregor wasn't sure why the Chief was berating the pair. The ursine frowned.

 _"Seems like he should be thanking us for closing this case so quickly..."_

Once they returned back to the station, the Weasel and Brown Bear taking the wounded feline after being cleared by E.M.T.'s and another unit picking up Woolty to take his statement, the pair found an irate Chief waiting for them and a subdued Cheetah sitting behind the front desk. After passing off Meocam to another officer, the Cape Buffalo motioned for the pair to follow and silently led the two officers to his office. It didn't take an expert to tell that the Chief was angry about something. Each hoofstep was heavy, head slightly leaning forward as if to push anything out of his way with his horns. With intermittent snorts and the flick of his ears the Bear hadn't seen Bogo this aggravated since learning for the first time Hopps was to be assigned to him.

Gregor glanced at his wrist watch. It just turned past 9:30 and Chief Bogo had been yelling without pause for roughly ten minutes now. The large mammal wooden chair that the ursine sat in was uncomfortable forcing him to shift every now and then.

 _"Seriously, some cushions would be nice. Is the budget that tight?"_

The Chief had been spouting his normal points for chewing out officers.

 _"Blah, blah, blah, insubordination. Blah, blah, blah, termination. Blah, Blah chain of command…you would think Adrian would come up better lines after all these years…"_

The Brown Bear was in an exclusive group of mammals at Precinct One. He was there before Chief Bogo was Assistant Chief Bogo, or Lieutenant Bogo, or even Sergeant Bogo. No Gregor knew the Chief when he was simply Officer Bogo. In fact the Cape Buffalo was the Bear's first partner. Their history together went past the walls of the Precinct. They were groomsmammals at each other's respective weddings. He was there when Sergeant Bogo's daughter was born, holding up the new father after the Cape Buffalo fainted from the news. In fact only Grizzoli could be considered higher on Gregor's small list of friends. Still Bogo advanced up the ranks and Snarlov stayed behind, preferring the everyday routine of patrolling to the headache that was paperwork.

The ursine huffed in annoyance. This chewing out was taking longer than he expected. Normally after a few minutes the Chief would tire out, but the Buffalo had energy to spare today. Just because they were friends didn't mean that the Bear hadn't been on the end of the Chief's tirades before. Gregor understood. Once the uniform was on it was business as usual for the two large mammals. Other officers saw the Cape Buffalo as intimidating, but when you remember a time where your boss danced drunkenly to Gazelle it didn't last.

 _"Uh I want this over with already…how's Weaselton holding up?"_

The Bear glanced over at his smaller partner and frowned. He didn't recognize the mammal next to him. Instead of the stoic Weasel who the Bear had known for three months there was a downtrodden imposter sitting next to him. Eyes cast down, shoulders slumped, and seemingly all visible fur messed up, the mustela didn't look like a proud officer at all. This morning when Gregor arrived Weaselton looked like wreck from pulling off a triple shift. After the fight with Meocam and the rip in the side of his uniform he looked downright pathetic. He looked again and cursed internally. For all of his talk of being observant, it was only now that Gregor realized that Weaselton had been injured. The pinprick holes in the side of the mustela's shirt were darkened slightly. Of course the fool of an officer didn't mention it to his superior. It looked to have stopped bleeding already, but that wasn't the point.

 _"This Weasel has a damnable death wish…I'll wring him out another time though…"_

Gregor knew just from looking at the young officer that the Chief was one wrong phrase from having one less officer. As much the smaller mammal annoyed the larger mammal with his lack of foresight, losing an officer like Weaselton never helped the Z.P.D. The Chief was leaning over his desk spit flying from his snout, and one large vein showing in Cape Buffalo's neck.

 _"I'm stepping in now."_

"Chief Bogo," interjected Gregor. The Chief turned his ire onto the Brown Bear who simply let the Bull's gaze bounce off of it.

"Not now Snarlov."

"I believe that it may be best for us to finish this conversation."

"Oh you do?" Bogo sneered "I didn't realize that **_YOUR_** title was Chief?"

Gregor kept his expression blank. "It's not…but I believe that I know the case just as well as Officer Weaselton and am more than willing to answer any of your questions."

 _"Come on you thick skulled Bull…just do it…"_

Bogo snorted and shook his head lightly. "Very well Snarlov… ** _we'll_** finish the conversation." The underlying threat wasn't lost on the Bear, but ignored nonetheless. Gregor turned to Weaselton, who didn't even seem to notice that he wasn't the target of the Bull's anger anymore. Gently placing his large paw on the smaller mammal's shoulder, the ursine nudged the mustela.

"Hey Weaselton?" The shell shocked mammal turned a glazed look towards the Bear. "Go wait outside for now. I'll get you when this is over." Weaselton didn't react right away. Then he blinked and nodded. Sliding out of the too large chair, the mustela landed on his hind paws and stumbled slightly. Slowly the officer trudged out of the office and closed the door behind him. Gregor watched the Weasel closely with a concerned eye. Once the door closed, the ursine's gaze turned back towards the Cape Buffalo. The Chief had not lost any of his fire, but the Bear's glare was full of ice. Silence filled the space between the two large mammals. The Bull spoke first.

"I will not be ordered by my own officers." Bogo stated.

"I agree," replied Gregor coolly.

"You are a subordinate and I am the commander. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"This will not be an issue in the future."

"Understood." There was silence once more as the ursine saw the telltale signs of the tension leaving the Bull. Grip loosening slightly on the desk, eyes staying hard but brow not as furrowed, the Chief was almost calm.

 _"Time to start this conversation..."_

"You know you're in the wrong, correct sir?"

"Oh?" said the Bull, voice seeping with sarcasm. Bogo sat back down in his chair, hooves clasped on the desk. "I thought that I handled that quite well all things considered."

A questioning brow rose on the ursine. "All things considered?"

"Of course, shall I list all the regulations that Weaselton broke in his misadventure." Gregor waved a paw towards the Chief.

"First, insubordination for disobeying a direct order not to be involved with the case."

Gregor snorted in disbelief. "He didn't hijack the case in the meter mobile. He went and filled in at the hospital after another officer called out."

"Second," the Chief continued, ignoring the Bear's statement, "not following the chain of command by reporting his findings to the appropriate commanding officer or next available."

Gregor sneered, "Should we have waited in the hall with that **_lovely_** midnight shift Kudo?"

"Third, taking an unassigned case, that he was **_SPECIFICALLY TOLD NOT TO BE INVOLED WITH_** , and following a lead." The Chief's hooves were flat on the desk as his voice rose. Gregor scoffed.

"You're welcome."

"I'm sorry did you mistake my words for a compliment?"

Gregor glared at the Bull. "In twenty four hours a rookie put together a case that two detectives were struggling with. In twenty four hours, ignoring your command he collected information relevant to the case and tried to pass it on. I know because he was about to take a big chunk out of whatever that desk officer's name if she didn't tell him where _anyone_ was." The ursine breathed deeply, closing his eyes before he started yelling as well. "He desperately wanted to pass this information on, and he was willing to bet his badge on it." The Brown Bear couldn't stop a snarl from forming. "Now you tell me what an officer of Precinct One is supposed to do when his paws are tied behind his back by his own superior and a dangerous mammal is on the loose." Whatever anger the Chief may have still had seemed to have left him at Gregor's words. The Cape Buffalo glanced down then back up.

"I didn't want him involved."

"Why not?" pressed the Bear. It didn't make sense to him yesterday and still didn't make sense to him today. All paws were needed yesterday, yet an able mammal was sent to waste the day away. The Chief let out a heavy sigh.

"You know who is father is?"

 _"Richard Weaselton a.k.a. 'Mad Rick' suspected of committing at least twenty five murders, thirty seven counts of assault and a plethora of other crimes…"_

The ursine shrugged "I have an idea." The Bull snorted.

"You're aware of what his father taught him correct?"

 _"Weasel War Dance. Specialty condition in which a weasel or ferret seems to temporarily go insane. Old trait for hunting created during ancient times that modern mustela's had no use for…"_

The Bear waved a large paw and grumbled "Some dance moves or whatever." Bogo grinned darkly.

"You are still a terrible liar." Gregor huffed and folded his arms.

"So what of it? He can do something other Weasels can't. Shouldn't we use that to our advantage?"

The Bull laughed and spread his arms wide. "How do you expect me to do that? I have an officer who could lose all of his mental senses on a bad day. What should I trust him with Greg? Add the insanity that was his father and I wonder why I don't keep him on Parking duty until he retires!" Gregor face went blank.

"What was the point of partnering us up then? To give him a ride along?" The Bull huffed and waved a hoof flippantly.

"I knew you could hold your own if something were to go wrong. I figured it was a safe bet."

"I thought you were better than to hold a mammal for the sins of their father."

"This isn't some mammal whose father had a temper or was a drug dealer. Weaselton's father was a monster. What old veterans that are left at Precinct Seven still ghost stories about 'Mad Rick.' How am I supposed to overlook that?" Gregor looked away and frowned. He never realized that this is what the Chief thought. If he had any inkling, then maybe the Bear could have gotten ahead of it.

"How many mammals did Rick save?" asked Gregor. It was rhetorical and the answer is none. Bogo didn't respond and the ursine turned his gaze back onto the Bull. "How many has Weaselton saved?" The Cape Buffalo frowned, but didn't answer. "I know of one mammal that he saved. On is fifth day as an officer against four other mammals. I know of a wife and two children who are happy that Weaselton was there that day. Do we count them as saved from losing a husband or father?" Gregor leaned in closer. "How about a mother and son who are glad that Weaselton went between them and a bastard of a father?" The ursine placed his paws on the desk and stood, leaning over and looking the Chief directly in the eye. "How many lives will he have to save before you feel comfortable with him being an officer? Or before you forget his last name? You tell me Chief so I can let him know and I promise by the end of the year he will have saved that many plus more." The snarl returned to Gregor's lips and a growl started in his voice.

"I'm **_well_** aware that the only reason that you have not tossed me through that door is because of our shared history. I'm also well aware that that Weasel," Gregor pointing a claw to the door behind him "will be a good cop that has already done the badge proud and will continue to do so." The Brown Bear stood up to his full height, still looking at the Chief who was wearing a blank expression.

"Yesterday was his hundredth day, Chief." Gregor said both snarl and growl gone. "How many rookies have officers shot on that day? How many of them pull a triple shift and solve the case? I can only think of one." The Chief let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes with a hoof.

"I can't let him go without punishment. If I do I am opening the door for officers to go renegade, and that is not what the Z.P.D. is about." Gregor nodded in understanding and folded his arms. Bogo continued to rub his eyes, and then stopped suddenly. The hoof that on his eyes went to stroking his snout and the Bear was aware of that look in his boss's eye.

"What are you thinking?" Gregor prodded.

"Hopps will be back to work tomorrow. I received word that Wilde is awake and she has already expressed a desire to come back, but I told her to take the day."

"So?"

"So she's going to need a partner until Officer Wilde comes back."

"I don't see what your-" Gregor realized what Chief Bogo was suggesting. "That's cruel Chief." The Chief smiled.

"It would let mammals know not to go over the line."

"Chief those months without Wilde were a nightmare with Hopps. No one could keep up with the Rabbit. It was a blessing when he finally arrived simply because there was no need for the carousel that was partnering at the time." The Cape Buffalo gave a questioning look.

"Do you want to be her partner for three weeks?" Gregor flinched.

 _"You're on your own Weaselton…"_

"No sir." Bogo grinned.

"Good to hear, now let Weaselton know he can head home today. I expect him to be ready tomorrow though." Gregor shook his head.

"Should I let him know about his new partner?"

"Oh no, I would like the privilege of that." The Bear huffed, but nodded. He turned to leave, but Bogo called out to him.

"Greg," Gregor turned back around. "Thank you for reminding me. Your right that Officer Weaselton is a different mammal and should not be held back for something outside of his control…however," Chief Bogo rising from his seat to his full height "If you growl at me again, you **_WILL_** paying for a new door. Is that clear?" Gregor snapped to attention and gave a crisp salute.

"Yes sir!" Bogo returned the salute.

The ursine grinned "It would be just like old times then." Bogo chuckled.

"You eventually could beat me in the ring. Still doing my routine?" The Brown Bear nodded.

"Even started Weaselton on it, he hasn't put me down yet." Bogo gave an amused look.

"Give him time Greg. Eventually the student always overcomes the teacher."

Gregor gave a mock bow "Master." The Cape Buffalo snorted and shook his head.

"Get out of her Snarlov. You've got a lot of paperwork to do." Gregor quickly left and shut the door behind him, only to find a sleeping Weasel against the wall next to the door. The smaller mammal had slumped to the floor and was snoring quietly. Gregor chuckled and shook his head.

 _"Time to wake him up with some good news…"_


	21. Need Some Help?

Reggie doesn't remember leaving the Precinct or the ass-chewing of a lifetime that he definitely received from Snarlov. Nor does he remember descending the steps, walking towards the train station and getting on a train. What the Weasel does remember is being awoken with a jolt of pain from the jostling of the train on its tracks. The young officer blinked furiously as his surroundings were an empty train car and not a cruiser. The landscape passed by in the window across from his seat. The young officer watched as the tall buildings of Savannah Central gave way to the smaller, older buildings of Sahara Square. Reggie caught a glimpse of Sahara Square Regional Hospital in the distance.

 _"Wonder if Wilde's woken up yet?"_

The train started to slow, and then stopped completely at Sahara station. Getting up to exit the train, another jolt of pain shot through Reggie's body. He grimaced and groaned, his left paw going to his side.

 _"Maybe I should head to the hospital?"_

A dreamlike memory came to the mustela. One of a Brown Bear telling Reggie to get his injury checked out. The idea didn't seem to be a bad one, but another thought fluttered into the sleep deprived officer's head.

 _"The Chief would find out...he already doesn't trust me, and two hospital trips in less than a month may give him the reason to keep me on parking duty for a year..."_ The Weasel grimaced once more, though this time not from pain. _"A year of driving around in the meter maid mobile. Dealing with irate mammals and never working a patrol even on foot! No way can he find out..."_

A solution came to the mustela's mind, one that had the young officer considered the best in his position.

 _"I'll give Mary a call. If she's off then she can help me. If she isn't...well guess its hospital then..."_

Gingerly Reggie twisted his body to slip his right paw into his left pants pocket. It felt like needles were digging into his side and the mustela gritted his teeth and bit back another groan. Finally he had his phone in paw and brought up Mary's contact info. The phone rang three times before it connected and the sound fabric being ruffled could be heard.

"...ullo?"

""Hey Mare, its Reggie."

There was silence on the other end as all the male mustela could hear was his own breathing. Then his sister sighed. "How bad are you hurt?"

"How'd you-"

"This isn't the first time you've called after getting hurt and I doubt it'll be the last. Also you take much shallower breaths when speaking through pain."

Reggie shook his head. "I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me."

There was another pause. "If it's that bad, then go to a hospital."

"I'd rather not and hope you can help me with it." Reggie heard his sister chuckle.

"In other words little sister to the rescue."

The young officer chuckled as well. "Yeah I guess so..."

Mary sighed again. "Give me a half hour and I'll be at your place. Think you can wait that long?"

As much pain as the Weasel felt when moving, he didn't feel too dizzy or too weak to walk. "I think I can make it."

"Good, see you soon Regg."

"Thanks Mare."

"Anything for my favorite brother."

* * *

It was a slow process, but eventually Reggie made it back to his apartment. Once he was standing in front of his door, the Weasel could hear bustling happening on the other side. Turning the doorknob, the officer noted it was unlocked. Tail standing out and fur on ends, the mustela slowly opened the door. Peeping in slightly, Reggie saw Mary busying herself on his bed. Sighing in relief, the Weasel walked in and closed the door behind him.

"Forgot you gave me a key didn't you?" Mary asked, her back turned to her brother and not even glancing over her shoulder towards him.

"It's been a long day Mare, sorry about that."

The female mustela shrugged and turned towards Reggie. He caught a glimpse of what looked like to him a plastic fishing box. Mary had slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and stood to approach the injured Weasel. She frowned, "You look terrible."

Reggie snorted. "Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself." His sister rolled her eyes, but her frown remained. "I pulled an all-nighter," Reggie added with a shrug "my first one, but knowing this job, not the last."

Mary's frown changed to a neutral look as her gaze ran up and down the tired mustela. She nodded."You're lucky I worked overnight last night or else you _would_ have had to go to the hospital."

Reggie gave a sympathetic smile to the female.

Mary waved him off and stepped closer to the male and started working on Reggie's buttoned shirt. "Haven't received a call like this in a long time Regg. Not wanting to use all your benefits up at once?" said Mary smugly. Her eyes were focused on unbuttoning Reggie's uniform shirt, but the smile on her muzzle told the male she was joking.

"Didn't want those hardworking nurses and doctors looking over a little scratch." Reggie replied. He quickly shrugged off his shirt and let it drop behind him revealing a sleeveless white undershirt. The young officer usually treated his uniform with care, but right then the male mustela was too tired to care. Mary snorted.

"Hardworking doctors? I don't know about that, but those hardworking nurses will thank you for not showing your ugly mug."

Reggie smiled, but it left his muzzle the instant he saw the left side of his shirt. There was a dark red stain that had three pinprick holes in the middle of it.

Mary turned around and grabbed a pen light Reggie saw laying on the bed. She grabbed the sides of the male's undershirt, but paused. "This may hurt a bit Regg. If nothing else you're going to have one large bruise there."

The officer watched the nurse slowly rolled up his undershirt, her eyes narrowing in concentration. The male mustela felt a shock of pain, and an almost stabbing sensation as his wounds were exposed to fresh air. Reggie bit back a snarl and clenched his paws.

The female whistled, "Looks like the Bitter Spirit gave you a love bite."

The male just huffed in response. Several seconds passed as the nurse looked at the wound, parting matted fur surrounding the wound. Reggie closed his eyes and clenched his muzzle shut.

Finally Mary's probing stopped and the male heard the female speak. "Good news Regg. They're only shallow puncture wounds. They even looked to have started to coagulate. I'm definitely going to have to clean it up and it's going to be tender for awhile, but barring any further injury you should be fine."

Reggie let out a sigh of relief. Opening his eyes once more, the male mustela saw the female digging into the plastic box. "What's with the box?" Reggie asked. All of the times he had been injured he had never seen this object. Sure they had first aid kits, but this seemed to be on another level.

Mary laughed. "Well with you and uncle Duke always getting into trouble, and my emergency response classes teaching me how to prepare my own triage kit, I decided the best thing to do would be to make a Weaselton Aid!" Mary stepped to the side and revealed the front of the box. On the front was a family photo taped on and 'Emergency' written on top in white paint.

Reggie smiled, "I'm glad to see one of us is prepared."

Mary turned back towards the 'Weaselton Aid' and produced gauzes, medical tape, alcoholic wipes and an extra set of gloves. With practiced precision, Mary tore open the wipes packet and started to wipe at Reggie's side, cleaning up the still fresh wounds. The male hissed in a mixture of shock and pain. Shock from how cold the wipes were and pain from the stinging of the alcohol. Mary smiled as she continued to work. "Reggie I've had kits who can handle this better than you." Reggie scowled down at his sister.

"How many of those kits fought off a drugged up feline their size?"

"Oh a handful."

Reggie tilted his head in confusion. "Really?"

Mary laughed and shook her head. "No Regg, not really."

The male pouted and looked away from the nurse's work. The pain was dying down and the alcohol didn't seem as jarring. There was a silence between the two as Mary worked and Reggie's mind drifted.

"So how'd this happen?" Mary asked "and why don't you want work to find out about it?"

"The 'how' is easy enough. Needed to arrest a suspect and said suspect didn't feel like complying. The 'why' is a bit more difficult to explain." Reggie looked back at the female to see she had stopped her work and was watching him, sitting on her haunches and waiting for him to continue. The male mustela sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I was in the hospital like a week ago already from almost being choked out by a Bull. Now I sustain an injury when doing a routine pick up. If the Chief found out I know I would be on parking duty until I retire."

Mary stood up and peeled her gloves off her paws. The male noticed his sister's paws were lighter and patches of white could be seen. The nurse's time in Tundra Town had her growing winter coat in already. "Reggie," Mary started, looking seriously at Reggie, "you're a moron. I love you, but you do stupid stuff like this too much to be healthy. The Chief wouldn't have fired you for getting injured. It would have been like…" the nurse trailed off as she waved a paw in a circular motion, then snapped her digits. "Like me getting fired for getting blood on my scrubs. It's just the nature of the job. You hope it doesn't happen, but that's why I always have an extra pair."

The male Weasel felt what little tension was left in him leave at his sister's words. She was right as usual. The Chief simply treated him differently because he was a rookie. The male sighed with a smile. "You're right Mare. I have to get better at this." Reggie rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry for waking you up."

"Aw Regg! You know I would have come even if I worked a week straight." Mary smiled and gave Reggie a one armed hug, avoiding his left side. "Now," Mary started breaking the contact, "go take a shower so I can wrap that scratch of yours. You smell worse than a drunken skunk in a gutter." The female pushed the male away playfully waving in front of her nose.

Reggie chuckled and rolled his eyes, but did as told and headed for the bathroom.

* * *

Mary had been right. Reggie felt his entire left side was bruised. After showering, the nurse dressed the officer's wounds. Once again giving his thanks, Reggie then ate a meal then passed out on his bed. He fell asleep around 11 am and woke up around 7 pm. Reggie ate a quick dinner, and then crawled back into bed and slept till his alarm woke him up the next day. The mustela needed more effort than normal to rouse out of bed. The bruise not making it easy, but eventually the Weasel's will won out.

Reggie found himself outside Snarlbucks in Savannah Central. It had become a ritual for the mustela to stop in for his drink and talk to Sheri for a few minutes. The raccoon seemed to be the only one opening the store. The only other employee that the Weasel had seen was an irate Billy Goat that seemed to be the manager. The mustela never stayed if the manager was there. Reggie could feel the glare of the goat no matter how pleasant the Weasel was. As the officer pulled open the door, he was met with familiar sight of the barista. The mustela learned that Sheri seemed to live by the mantra 'whistle while you work'; though in the female's case it was humming. Still there she was wiping down some of the tables humming to the tune playing softly in the store. Her body shimmying to the soft guitar and tail swaying behind her, Reggie shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Morning," Reggie called out. Sheri turned around with a smile that the Weasel had started to admire. On the rare occurrences where another customer came in during the early morning, the mustela watched the raccoon serve them closely. What Reggie had learned was that Sheri had several different smiles. There was the 'Customer Service' smile that never seemed to reach her eyes. There was the 'please leave' smile for those annoying customers that never revealed her teeth. Finally what Reggie liked to consider her 'I'm happy to see you' smile that he had only seen her give the Weasel. Sheri's entire face seemed to brighten and the mustela saw the whites of her teeth. Everything about the raccoon seemed to glow when the officer saw that smile, and it made him smile in return.

"My favorite customer! I missed you yesterday Reggie!" Sheri exclaimed. She left the rag she was using on the table and went around the counter and Reggie followed behind. "Your usual?" Reggie nodded and leaned against the counter. With fervor that the mustela was used too, the barista created his drink with practiced ease. "One 'Dirty Chai' for one clean Weasel. You want anything else today Reggie?"

The Weasel was feeling quite hungry this morning, and looked over the glass case filled with pastries. A large mammal sized cinnamon roll caught the officer's eye. "Give me that cinnamon roll right there. I'm feeling ravenous today." The mustela looked up to the questioning gaze of the barista.

"That's bigger than your head."

Reggie grinned. "It'll be more impressive when I eat it all then."

Sheri covered her muzzle with a paw and giggled. The female reached behind the glass with a pair of tongs, and using both paws, lifted the large pastry out. Putting it on a plate, Sheri slid the pastry to Reggie who licked his lips in anticipation. "I think you should eat this here Reggie. Don't want to make a mess on the way to work now do you?" The raccoon teased.

Reggie frowned. He never stayed for too long, enjoying the walk to the station and then getting dressed and ready. Still he always was early and he definitely had time to spare. With a smile, Reggie nodded in agreement. Once he paid, Reggie first grabbed the plate and went to an open table, and then went back for his drink. After making himself comfortable, the mustela started to pull apart at the large pastry and savored the sweet roll. The Weasel was so engrossed in eating and drinking that he didn't notice the raccoon moved from behind the counter. She grabbed a chair and sat across from the mustela with a smile. Unashamed of his terrible manners, the officer licked his digits and studied the female across from him. They had never done this before, sat with one another. Her smile never left her face as the mustela ate in silence. It was soft and one that Reggie had never seen before.

"Enjoying yourself?" asked Sheri. The mischievous glint in the raccoons brown eyes told the male she was teasing him.

Not slowing down his eating, Reggie used a free paw to give a 'so-so' motion. Swallowing another piece of the cinnamon roll and taking a large gulp of his drink, the officer released a content sigh. The barista giggled again and Reggie smiled. "How was yesterday Sheri? That creepy Buck try to ask you out again?" The Weasel never understood how the raccoon dealt with mammals all day on a customer service level. If it was him, he would have gone insane from trying to deal with customers.

A brow rose on Sheri and the mischievous glint still remained. "Mr. Buckskin is a very well off deer. I would be honored if he asked me out." She said with her muzzle in the air and a sniff.

Reggie grinned. "You turned him down again."

The raccoon looked away from the mustela. Reggie kept his gaze and grin. She eventually glanced back and he wiggled his eyebrows. "It's kinda weird to me Reggie. He's like six feet tall and I don't even come up to his hip! I'm open to ideas, but that's too much for me!" Sheri exclaimed, her paws waving with emphasis.

Reggie laughed and shook his head, "This is the buck with the large, polished antlers?" Sheri nodded. "He's definitely overcompensating then. You're probably just right for him." Reggie said, his grin stretching as far as possible.

Sheri huffed, but the officer could see the smile she was trying to hide.

The idea of another male with the raccoon gave the mustela an empty feeling in his stomach, but the officer ignored the feeling and finished off the cinnamon roll. With a now full stomach, and a still sore side, Reggie stood up with a groan.

"Are you alright?" Sheri asked.

The Weasel glanced over to the raccoon and noted the concern in her eyes. Reggie nodded. "I'll be fine; it's just the nature of my job."

The barista's eyes narrowed and a frown grew on her face. "You never did tell me what you do."

Reggie gave an apologetic shrug. He didn't like telling mammals he was a cop. The usual response he expected was not to be believed. The worst response he could think of was a mammal trying to bribe him after finding out. This concern, whether real or not, led to the mustela keeping his profession out of conversations with the raccoon.

"So what is it?" Sheri asked.

A brow rose on Reggie. "It's a secret."

Sheri scoffed and waved a paw at the Weasel. "What are you a secret agent?" the barista said flippantly. There was a pregnant pause before Sheri glanced back over to the officer. "Are you a secret agent?"

Reggie snorted at the absurdity and shook his head. "I can promise you I'm not."

"Then what are you?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Tell me!" Sheri whined.

"No!" Reggie mock whined back. The raccoon folded her arms and looked away from the Weasel. The mustela couldn't fight back the growing smile on his face at the antics of the barista. There was an awkward silence growing between the two mammals making Reggie uncomfortable. He shifted on his hind paws, looking away from the raccoon. The silence continued as both mammals seemed to refuse to budge. Finally the officer coughed and looked back at the barista. "How about you guess it and I tell you if you're correct?"

The raccoon still didn't look at the mustela. "How do I know you won't lie?" Sheri finally asked.

Reggie sighed. "Have a given you a reason to not trust me?"

The raccoon huffed. "No."

"Then trust me to tell when you guess it."

Sheri frowned and looked back at Reggie. "What do I get if I guess it?"

The mustela thought for a moment, but he wasn't sure what the female wanted. He shrugged. "What do you want?"

Her expression turned blank, but Reggie thought he saw a faint blush in her ears. Then a smile returned to Sheri. "How about I tell you when I guess it right."

Reggie chuckled at her confidence, but nodded. "Sure. You can tell me what you want _if_ you guess what I do."

"Promise?"

The officer hesitated, and then held out a paw. "Deal?" Reggie responded, trying to deflect from the promise.

Sheri reached out and grabbed the Weasel's paw. For their brief shake, the mustela was struck by how dainty her smaller paw looked in his. Her paw felt rough from use compared to his soft paw pads. The lack of claws on the raccoon's paw left the Weasel worrying about accidently scratching her. Sheri gave Reggie a soft smile, and officer found himself wanting to see that smile more often.

"It's a deal." The barista replied.

Reggie couldn't stop a smile from growing on his muzzle. "Well great. I'll be back tomorrow, ready for your guesses, but right now I have to get back to my secret agent base."

Sheri laughed, "Have fun _Agent_ Reggie!"

Reggie waved at the raccoon and headed out the door.


	22. Another New Partner

The change from two mornings ago to when Reggie stepped through the doors of Precinct One was obvious. The heavy atmosphere was no more, and the Weasel could hear laughter in the building. Said laughter was coming from the Cheetah at the front desk as a familiar tiger leaned against the desk. As the Weasel approached, Clawhauser spotted the smaller officer a high pitched squeal came from the rotund officer. The mustela saw the male feline grab the other feline's arm and start shaking it. Clawhauser was talking loud enough that the Weasel, and more than likely any other officer walking past, heard him speak.

"Nadine! It's the mammal of the hour! Reggie! Hey, Reggie!" With the last part the Cheetah added frantically waving to the approaching Weasel.

The mustela officer was amused by the larger officer's antics, and was happy to see this version of Clawhauser compared to the one several days ago. Fangmeyer looked down at the smaller officer, and Reggie could have sworn she was smiling. Her muzzle had the same blasé look it normally did, but the tiger's gaze had brightness in it towards the rookie.

"Congratulations are in order I hear," Fangmeyer said, her tail flicking behind her in slow fashion.

Reggie's brow raised in confusion. "For what?"

Clawhauser chuckled. "For what? Reggie you solve a case and you wonder for what?" Continuing to chuckle, the Cheetah shook his head.

The Weasel frowned. He didn't feel like he solved anything. All the evidence seemed to have fallen in his lap, and last he heard Meocam hadn't confessed. "Does that mean Meocam confessed to the crime?" Reggie asked, turning his gaze to the desk officer.

"Yup!" responded Clawhauser in a chipper tone. The feline's eyes were bright as he was bouncing in his seat.

"I'm assuming Detectives Zirafa and Blackpaw did the interrogation?"

"Yup!"

"So they should get credit for the case then."

"Nope!"

Reggie frowned at the big cat. "Nope?"

"Nope!" responded the happy Cheetah with a shake of his head. "Everyone knows you're the one who figured it out. Even though it'll be noted on the case file as them solving the case, all the other officers will know the truth!"

The more the desk officer talked, the more worried the Weasel became. He didn't want to step on any mammals paws, yet it looked like that from the outside. The young officer wasn't convinced that all the other officers in Precinct One would see his actions as positively as Clawhauser did. The frown that he had been wearing deepened. "Did you tell mammals this Clawhauser?" Reggie asked. He had a feeling the feline was the one who had spread the rumor. Truth or not, the Weasel felt that this would undermine the detectives and the mustela didn't want any more enemies.

Clawhauser shook his head once more. "Nope! It was all Snarlov. He was stuck in the office all day yesterday taking care of the paperwork. One question led to another and next thing you know Greg is giving a blow by blow of your 'investigation'" The Cheetah gave air quotes for the final word. This revelation shocked the young officer. He had never known Snarlov to gossip, and yet he seemed to have told the entire Precinct!

The mustela gawked at the desk officer. Several seconds passed before Reggie found his voice once more. "But I…why would…I…uh…wha…?" Even with his voice back, the Weasel's brain still needed to reboot.

Clawhauser laughed, his paws going to his large belly as he jiggled. "Oh Reggie you look adorable right now! I don't think I've ever seen you like that. Oh I need to take a picture! Now where is my phone…?" The rotund officer started to scramble around the hidden part of the desk.

The mustela heard the shuffling of papers before he blinked back to reality. Shaking his head and paws in front of him, one question needed answering. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait! Why would Snarlov do that? It doesn't make sense to me."

Clawhauser stopped his search and gave Reggie a confused look. "Well you deserve it. From what I've heard the detectives were trying to figure out who from Nick's past would do this. There was someone who told me that they didn't listen to what little Hopps had told them. Until you brought in Meocam, they never even thought of looking at a mammal closer to their height."

"How do you know all this?" Reggie asked. It always amazed him how much the desk officer knew or could find out.

Clawhauser scoffed and waved a paw at the Weasel. "Just because I'm not in the field, doesn't mean I don't have my sources Reggie." The Big cat gave the young officer a mischievous smile "Beside's I'm not the only officer who can be bribed around here."

The mustela ran from his throat to the tip of his muzzle. Uncertainty at how other officers reacted to the rumor is what made the young officer nervous. "I didn't really do anything though Clawhauser. I didn't even really want to be involved with the case! I just wanted to help, not steal it away from the detectives!" Reggie exclaimed with his voice was rising slightly. There was a huff to the left of the Weasel, who turned to look back at Fangmeyer. The young officer had forgotten the female feline was still there.

"Weaselton, you did a good job. Just take the compliment and move on." The words were harsh, but said without malice. The gaze of the striped officer was soft. The mustela glanced away from the strong gaze of the large cat before returning back and muttering a 'thanks'. She nodded then headed off. Reggie heard Clawhauser chuckle behind him.

"She's right Reggie. Good job!" Reggie looked back over his shoulder and gave a forced smile to the Cheetah before heading to the locker room.

* * *

Reggie dressed in silence at his locker. The Weasel gingerly put on his Kevlar underneath his uniform shirt. Even if he couldn't remember the chewing that Snarlov more than likely gave him, didn't mean that the mustela wanted to be unprepared another day. Even if he was put in parking duty in Sahara Square, he would wear the vest. As Reggie finished clipping his belt, a small thump against the lockers to his left had the young officer glancing towards the sound. To his mild surprise it was Wolford dressed and ready. The grey wolf had his usual grin on his muzzle. The young officer's eyebrow rose. "What's up Wolford?"

The lupine's officer grin grew wider. "I was just wondering. Should I get your autograph now before you become more famous, or should I just tell stories about me and you and see how far that'll take me?"

Reggie groaned in annoyance and rolled his eyes. "How about neither and I can go about my day like any other day?"

The Wolf laughed and spread his arms wide. "Weaselton you're the next big thing! You should use this to your advantage." The wolf then leaned in closer to the Weasel and wiggled his eyebrows. "You got your eye on any of the ladies?"

Reggie scoffed and waved his paw at the lupine. "You mean all the ladies who are at least three times my height? Sorry, no thanks Wolford."

"Well what abou-"

"If you're about to suggest Hopps than your grasping for straws." Reggie interrupted. Letting the veteran officer know that the Rabbit was more than likely off limits wasn't the mustela's place, but making it clear that the young officer had no interest to the lapine seemed just as well.

The wolf stopped leaning against the locker and put his paws up in surrender. "I was actually going to suggest one of the administrative females."

The mustela turned his nose up at the wolf. "Still, I have no interest in dating anyone associated with where I work." The Weasel glanced at the lupine and was greeted by an unimpressed look from the officer.

"No interest whatsoever hmm?" The wolf pressed "not even in that ferret down in the crime lab?"

"What ferret?" Reggie asked. He hadn't been down in the lab at all and he doesn't remember seeing a ferret walking around.

"Oh you know. Felicity something, new technician they got. She doesn't spend too much time with us officers. How have you not noticed her?"

"Well," started Reggie, bringing a paw to list the reasons. "A. I haven't even been down in the lab. B. She doesn't spend much time with the officers and I'm on patrol most of the time. C. Just because she's a mustela doesn't mean I'm interested and finally **I have no interest in dating**." The Weasel emphasized the last point, hoping to be the end of the conversation.

Instead the wolf chuckled and shook his head and raised his paws in mock disappointment. "Oh Weaselton. Whatever will I do with you?"

"Not try to set me up with this ferret I hope."

Wolford laughed. "Can't make any promises on that. Anyway let's get to roll call. Time to get the day started." The wolf waved for the Weasel to follow. With an internal groan at the possibility of Wolford sticking his nose into Reggie's personal life, the young officer followed behind.

* * *

In RollCall, Reggie went to sit next to Snarlov. Instead of his normal greeting to the bear, generally a normal 'good morning', the Weasel stared right ahead and didn't acknowledge the veteran officer at all. There was silence, and some bitterness from the mustela, between the two officers. The large mammal shifted next to the young officer, but didn't say anything. Reggie continued to look forward.

Finally the veteran officer spoke softly. "Is there a reason you seem pissed at me?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe it has to do with **telling everyone I solved the case.** " Reggie hissed, turning to look at the Brown Bear. This isn't what the Weasel wanted. He wanted to help and nothing more, but if what Clawhauser said is true then officers are going to start believing that the young officer went on his own.

A brow rose on the Bear's face. "What problem do you have with me telling others?"

It was a reasonable question, but one that confused the Weasel officer. "Aren't you the one that recommend that I don't step on anyone's paws? Take care of things or I would get replaced?"

The veteran officer shook his head with a huff. "That was only for Wilde and Hopps. When it comes to other officers, have as many grudges as you want." The older mammal grumbled.

"So what you recommend me pissing off every other officer and detective that in Precinct One? How is that good Snarlov?" The Weasel pressed through gritted teeth. He was trying to keep his voice low as more officers entered RollCall.

"No, Weaselton. I am only giving you credit where credit is due."

"I didn't do anything though!" The mustela said in exasperation, paws rubbing down his muzzle.

The Bear gave the Weasel an unimpressed look. "Of course you didn't do anything. Except actually make sense of what an officer who just watched her partner almost die told detectives. Listening to a known crime boss when, and I did check to see if the tip had been put in, they were telling us where to go. Subdue a drugged out, dangerous mammal with a weapon and figure out where said mammal was hiding. But your right Weaselton, you did nothing at **_all_** for this case."

The sarcasm was so thick in the veteran officer's tone that Reggie was surprised the words didn't physically hit him. Still what Snarlov said gave the young officer pause. In those twenty four hours, everything felt like it was spiraling out of control for the mustela. All he wanted to do was assist, and instead he's thrown head first into the investigation. Looking back on what he was able to do, what he was able to accomplish, the young officer couldn't stop a growing smile. "Yeah I guess your right Snarlov, thanks."

The Bear snorted, "Alright, don't get a big head about it," the Weasel's smile disappeared at the ursine's comment, "I didn't do it for an ego boost for you."

The mustela frowned. "Why did you then?"

The Bear shifted once more and there was a pause from the large mammal. "Let's just say that I have insured you with the beat cops, so the rankies and detectives don't get any ideas."

Reggie had no idea what Snarlov was talking about, and the veteran wasn't meeting the younger's gaze. Nonetheless the Weasel was sure that the ursine was working in his best interest and that he could trust him. Reggie nodded his head and turned back towards the front of the room just as the chanting and pounding started. Chief Bogo strode into the room and headed for the podium. It looked to the Weasel that even the Chief was doing better this morning.

"Alright, settle down," started the Chief, but the noise from the officers continued, "Ok, **QUIET!** " The Cape Buffalo yelled the final word, silencing all of the officers. The large mammal then produced a pair of reading glasses and placed them on his snout.

"I have good news today. First piece of good news is that Officer Wilde is awake and expected to make a full recovery." There was a pattering of knocks and some whistles from all the officers. "Second," the Chief paused, anticipation filling the room. The Bull smirked "We got the bastard." All the tension released into another bout of pounding and chanting. Trunkaby trumpeted and one of the large cats let out an echoing roar. Wolford started a howl that had the other wolf officers joining in. Unlike when he first walked in, it seemed to the Weasel that the Bull was letting the officers have their fun. Eventually they had to get back to business and Chief Bogo pounded on the podium and shouted.

"Alright that's enough!" The officers settled immediately. The Chief then looked down, reshuffling the papers in his hooves. "We also have Officer Hopps back with us." The Weasel looked towards the usual seat of the Rabbit officer and saw the officer back and sitting with ears erect. There was a sudden tension that filled the room. The young officer didn't understand why this was happening, but he decided to remain quiet and see how it plays out.

"Officer Weaselton," called out Chief Bogo.

The mustela straightened up. "Yes sir?" replied Reggie.

"You will be Hopps partner until Officer Wilde returns. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." The young officer could have sworn he saw a smile on the Bulls snout, but couldn't be certain. What the Weasel did see was several officers deflate, and Trunkaby silently wipe her brow with her trunk. This confused Reggie. If Hopps was as good as everyone said she was, wouldn't others want partner up with her? While lost in his thoughts, he heard Snarlov chuckle quietly next to him. The mustela glanced over at the Bear and caught his gaze.

"Good luck." The ursine rumbled quietly. Reggie frowned and turned forward.

 _"Why do I need luck?"_

* * *

Reggie was starting to understand why the other officers didn't want to partner with Hopps. After RollCall the Rabbit spent a ridiculous amount of time going over protocol for what is supposed to be with an officer at all times. If the Weasel were to guess, Snarlov probably tipped Hopps off to the day before and his lack of preparedness. The dressing down wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the actual threat of dressing down. The lapine seemed to have gotten it in her head that the only way to check to see if Reggie was wearing his Kevlar was to actually unbutton his shirt and show her. Several backwards steps and paw slapping paw later and only the veil threat of an M.R. complaint from the mustela stopped the Rabbit's attempts. That didn't stop her from ordering the Weasel to hand over his belt so she could see the contents of his belt and go over Reggie's primary and secondary weapons. Only when she was completely satisfied did the two officers head to their assigned vehicle. It was a half out after RollCall had already ended.

Then Hopps checked the tire pressure, oil check, gas check, battery check, both forward and rear lights check, visibility of license plate, tightness of all hubcap bolts, and many other checks that Reggie would admit to not even knowing where in the regulations. If not for the annoyance of earlier, the Weasel would have been thoroughly impressed by the Rabbit's knowledge of protocol that seemed to come offpaw. Finally, an hour into their shift, the two small officers departed with Hopps driving. Their assignment today was a simple one, traffic duty in Savannah Central with orders to support Sahara Square if called upon. Considering the fact that a wrong turn from the Weasel sent pain all up his left side, he was happy for the easy duty for the day. Hopps seemed content enough in the beginning. With a radar gun in one paw, and the other on the wheel of the cruiser, she seemed to be on a mission.

The first and second hour watching traffic passed without incident, from Hopps or civilians. Reggie was enjoying the ability to look out the windows of the cruiser without having to stand. The cruiser they had been assigned seemed to have been built with smaller mammals in mind and the Weasel hoped more of them were on the way for his use. By the third hour it was becoming apparent that Hopps was growing frustrated. She had put down the radar gun and now was now gripping the steering wheel with both paws and tapping a digit. As she tapped, her right hind paw bounced in the air. If that wasn't enough the smell of Rabbit had filled the cruiser. Reggie had done his best to ignore the scent at the station, and the smell of oil and gas overpowered his nose so there was no point in the motor pool. Now though, stuck in a cabin with an annoyed Rabbit who thoughts seemed to be sending her mood and scent from one extreme to another. The mustela held out for so long, before he started to become dizzy. Needing fresh air, Reggie turned to the Rabbit. "Hey Hopps?" the quick turn of the Rabbit towards Reggie showed how on edge the lapine was. "Mind if I crack a window?"

The senior officer blinked before recognition sunk in. "Oh…oh of course Reggie, go ahead."

The Weasel nodded before rolling down the window. Sticking half of his muzzle out, the mustela drew in a deep breath and let out a contented sigh. The sun was high and there was a slight breeze in Savannah that felt amazing on his nose. Turning back around with a smile, Reggie was about to mention what a great day it was, when the sight of the doe gave him pause. With all of the old smells now wafting out the window, and his head less foggy, the Weasel knew Hopps was anxious. What he first assumed was frustration, he now saw as nervous energy. Her scent didn't help hide it either. Brow rising in concern, Reggie figured some polite conversation necessary. "So why you nervous?" the Weasel blurted out.

 _"Is this going to be another repeat at the hospital? Seriously Regg you're terrible."_

The doe sighed and laid her head gently against the steering wheel, ears laying down the back of her head. "Is it that obvious?"

Reggie shrugged. "I would be lying if I said no."

Hopps chuckled and looked at the Weasel. "Nick is still in the hospital, and will be for a couple more days. I guess I'm just worried that something will happen when I'm not there." Reggie nodded. "I do have good news though."

"Oh?" responded the mustela officer.

Hopps lifted her head off the wheel with a broad smile and ears standing tall. "I told him. Like you said I should. Aaaannnndd…" the lapine started, drawing out the final word. Reggie leaned towards the doe in anticipation. The Rabbit started bouncing in her seat "…he said yes!"

Reggie blinked. "Uh...What?"

The Rabbit officer stopped bouncing, frowning at the Weasel officer. There was a pregnant pause as the mustela was lost for words at what Hopps was suggesting. He saw her eye darting side to side in what he assumed was her going back over the conversation. She gasped and a paw shot to cover her mouth. Reggie could see a faint blush on the doe's cheeks. "No, no, no, no, no! Not that type of 'yes', but like 'yes' he likes me not 'yes, I do' type 'yes.' I mean saying that we just 'like' each other sounds so juvenile, but I don't want to call it love yet. I mean don't get me wrong I love Nick, but I'm not sure if I'm in love with him and even though I'm _pretty_ sure that I am in love with him we haven't really talked about if he's _in love_ with me and…" Hopps head fell into her paws "I don't know why I'm telling you all this Reggie. Sorry."

During the lapine's tirade, Reggie couldn't stop a growing smile at the senior officer's ramblings. At her apology, the Weasel chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "Hopps its fine" started the Weasel, still very amused by the blushing doe next to him, "I'm glad to hear that it worked out for you." Reggie truly was glad. He sighed with a smile and looked forward towards the deserted streets of Savannah Central. It was the middle of the day and most of the area they were in was residential. Most mammals would be at work, and the ones that weren't were either asleep, too young to work, or staying inside it seemed. Reggie was glad to pass the day away.

A groan to his left had him believing that Hopps had a different idea. "Today is so boring," said the lapine officer "normally that would be ok because Nick always seemed to know how to keep busy, but…" The senior officer faded off.

Reggie gazed back at Hopps and saw her ears once again down. _"Is she always bouncing this fast between emotions?"_ Reggie thought. The mustela knew that if he wanted this day to turn around, he would have to liven up the conversation between him and Hopps. "Ok, what does Wilde usually do to help pass the time?" the Weasel asked.

The Rabbit's brow furrowed and her hind paw started to bounce in the air once more. "Hmmm…well we usually talk about our plans and what we are going to do after work…about the newest movies and how bad they were…Oh I know! We play a game where we guess a mammal's profession just by looking at them!" The Rabbit looked out the window expectantly, and Reggie followed suit, only to be met with deserted streets. A soft "oh" came from the disappointed senior officer.

The younger officer glanced back over at Hopps. "What else?"

The Rabbit's frown deepened and her ears lowered slightly. "Well on really slow days, Nick would tell me about some of his past cons and funny situations he has gotten into."

It was Reggie's turn to frown. All the stories he had from the R.F.L. that didn't include Crystal were not fun at all, and talking again about him and the grey ferret seemed to difficult to do at the moment either. No, Reggie definitely didn't have light hearted stories like that. An idea popped into the Weasel's head that may past the time and also Hopps might like. "You're not from Zootopia correct?" asked Reggie. The Rabbit nodded, and glanced over at the mustela. "So you don't know much about its history correct?"

A brow rose on the senior officer's face. "Just because I didn't live here doesn't mean I haven't read its history." Hopps retorted slightly defensively.

Reggie nodded in agreement. "Oh I don't doubt that you've read everything you can get your paws onto, but how much do you know about the city's unofficial history."

Hopps head tilted in confusion. "Unofficial history?"

Reggie smiled victoriously, he finally had something. "Yep! The history that not even most Zootopian's know about. The stories you won't find written in a book, or talked about in classrooms. Ticks the only reason I know is because of my aunt and uncle." His father had also told him some stories as well, but those might as well have been ghost stories rather that urban history. Still the story he was about to tell centered around the actions of his father and more than likely what caused his death. The Weasel would leave out some details, but Hopps deserved to know as much as possible.

"This story isn't going to make me cry like the last one you told will it?' asked Hopps cautiously.

The Weasel laughed. "I can't make any promise about that, now…" Reggie leaned in closer to the Rabbit, smile still present on his muzzle. "…let me tell you about the 'Bad Old Days.'"


	23. The Bad Old Days

_Once upon a time-_

 _Wait is this a fairy tale or something that actually happened?_

 _It's a real event and this is how I'm going to tell the story._

 _*Sigh* Ok Weaselton, continue._

 _Thank you….Now once upon a time Zootopia wasn't just divided by districts. It was also divided by families. I'm well aware of your knowledge of the Big family, which we should discuss eventually, but there were several other families that held control of the city as well. There was the McHooverton's in the Meadowlands. The bryalkalb's in Sahara Square. The von Carstein family of the nocturnal disctrict. Of course the Big's in Tundra Town, and finally the Rayas of the Rainforest District. This story will take place after the fall of most of these families, and really focus on the last two._

 _First I need to give you some back story in how things were dealt between families. There was a gentlemammals agreement that a family never pushed out of its disctrict. The idea being that if a family became too big, then they could take over the city. Certain exceptions being that the Big family controlled Little Rodentia and every family had a piece of the Canal District. Anyway back on topic, the Rayas family was tigers, and the head of the family was Francisco Antonio Edgar Rayas de la Tigre. Francisco did his best to make sure his family would survive, and treated the mammals of the Rainforest District well enough. It's said there was an agreement between the Rayas and the police that if the family didn't cause bodies to start popping up, then the Z.P.D. would allow their 'business ventures' to continue unopposed._

 _Anyway Francisco had two children, both males. The oldest, named Iago, was said to be like his father in that he was level headed, worked hard and used only just enough force to prove his point. The youngest was named Juan and well…he wasn't any of that….In fact it would be somewhat fair to call Raphael an outsider in his own family. He was quick to anger, quick to blows and quicker to hold a grudge. The only thing he apparently didn't do quickly was grow up. This wasn't seen as a problem at the time because Iago was going to take over the family business and Juan could continue to be the family screw up._

 _That all changed when Iago died in a car crash. No one knows if it was an accident or one of the families decided to remove a possible threat early. What is known is that Francisco did not take it well at all. He had the first responders, the bodyguards who survived, even the horse mechanic who worked on the car killed. It's said that he mourned for three days and nights straight. If that's true I don't know, but what I do know is that after Iago's death Juan was next in line. That didn't sit well with the lieutenants in the family. The youngest tiger was too brash in their minds, and therefore needed to be taken out. None of them acted while Francisco was still alive. The old tiger had put a fear in all those under him that was impossible to shake, but when he did die that's when everything got worse._

 _How can it get worse? It sounds like innocent mammals were killed over an accident?_

 _Oh trust me Hopps they don't call it the "Bad Old Days" because of the accident. No, it's called that because of what happens after the accident._

 _So what happened?_

 _Patience, I'm getting there…where was I…Oh yes! Francisco dies, and his body isn't even cold in the ground before the lieutenants' start making their moves. If all of them had worked together to take out Juan, there is no question that he would have died right away. In fighting between who would take over once Juan was gone is all that saved the young tiger in the beginning. This led to not a coup or a civil war in the Rainforest District, but a separating the entire district into smaller areas controlled by individuals rather than a family. It was only a matter of time before blood started spilling in the streets, and when it did it didn't stop. This was before the mandatory sentencing on guns. So even though they were illegal in Zootopia, they allowed smaller mammals to take on larger ones and therefore considered worth the risk. It was an arms race after that. Stockpiles of firearms and ammunition held by groups of mammals trying to go out and kill other groups such as themselves, it was only a matter of time before bystanders became victims as well._

 _That's horrible!_

 _Sorry Hopps, it's only going to get worse from here. Do you want me to stop?_

 _No…I've heard this much. I should hear the rest._

 _Alright then. I'll answer all the questions you'll have at the end… So while the lieutenants' are taking out one another one by one, Juan is planning. The tiger was brash yes, but he was intelligent just like his brother and father. He decided that the only way for him to survive this was to find the biggest, baddest, nastiest mammal he could find and get the mammal on his side. To say the least he succeeded. The mammal in question was named "Mad Rick", a mugger who found he liked spilling blood too. Juan needs to test this new mammal, so what does he do? He tells Rick to go and take out a lieutenant and his mammals by himself. I honestly don't know who the lieutenant was, but I do know that Rick didn't fail. Juan is so impressed that he makes Rick the head of his enforcers' and begins planning on how to take back the Rainforest district…_

A black sports car flew past the police cruiser causing both officers to look forward. Snapping his seatbelt into place and flicking on the red and blue lights, Reggie glanced over to the now excited Rabbit with a smirk.

"To be continued…"

* * *

Reggie was still recovering from his shock when he re-entered the cruiser. "Seriously a sloth!?" He heard Hopps laugh as she jumped back into the driver's seat of the cruiser. "Would you believe me if I told you that not only is that not my first time giving a sloth a speeding ticket?" Reggie huffed "Before today no." Both officers settled into their seat as the senior officer pulled the cruiser back into traffic.

"So….?" Hopps led. The Weasel glanced over at the Rabbit. "So, what?" The lapine started to bounce slightly in her seat. "Continue the story!" she exclaimed. The mustela officer smacked his forehead. "Right," replied Reggie, "where was I…?"

* * *

 _Rick is head of Juan's enforcers…_

 _Right, thanks Hopps. So anyway every other mammal and their mother were vying for power. The Rayas family falling seemed certain and the entire Rainforest District was in flames. No neighborhood was safe, not even the Canopy. Bodies were starting to drop left and right, even cops started being targeted. It got so bad that Precinct One started sending officers to help pick up the slack. Of course when Precinct One officers can't help patrol the rest of the city, crime rises all over. It was a…what you call it...Domino effect. By this time there was only one other crime family left, the Bigs._

 _Tundra Town being right next to Rainforest District meant that there was plenty of crime spilling over. I was told that it wasn't unheard of for Precinct Five to find bodies in the snow close by to the tunnels of the Rainforest. It got so bad that supposedly C.S.I. would head out early in the morning and look for fresh corpses around the known dump sites._

 _Pickled Radishes!_

 _It wasn't a fun time. Thing is that those mammals who were dying were the underlings, and not any of the leaders themselves. Still the smaller groups were becoming undermammed, and that's when Juan and Rick made their move. First Rick started taking out all of the smaller Lieutenants. That wasn't just the head honchos, but also all the mammals underneath of them. Soon the stronger Lieutenants started to realize their mistake in not taking out Juan, and tried to combine. Then Rick started the second part of their plan. Whenever the Lieutenants would meet, wherever it was, Rick and all of Juan's mammals would show up and take them all out. This didn't include only those involved, but later the families of all the mammals as well. Now not only were bodies piling, but families starting fleeing as well. Eventually it led to the three biggest Lieutenants still around to put aside their differences and agree to take out Rayas and Rick._

 _Who were they?_

 _Hmm?_

 _The last lieutenants._

 _Oh! Hmmm… I pretty sure they were a lion named Lyon Garras, a jaguar named Peter Spots and finally an elephant that I only know as Jimmy Two-Times. I think it's because he said things twice? Never met the mammal so you'll have to forgive me for that… Anyway Rick is setting up to take all of them out. It would have been the biggest bloodbath the city had ever seen. He was planning on taking out every mammal, top down. From Garras all the way to Jimmy's elderly mother, Rick was going to make sure no one ever rose up against Rayas again. There's a problem though-_

 _The Z.P.D.?_

 _*Snort* I wish Hopps. No the problem is that Rayas realized something. Remember that unspoken agreement between his father and the police?_

 _No bodies, no problem?_

 _That's surprisingly poetic, but yes no bodies no problem. The thing is there had been_ _ **WAY**_ _too many bodies for the Z.P.D. to look away from. Juan knew as soon as this feud is over the police would come in and arrest the winner. The only reason they didn't do so was because that this point in time the mobsters are more heavily armed than anything the Precinct's can throw at them. So the tiger decides that the best thing to do is to keep the war going. No end, just the two sides in a locked stalemate. This goes on for a full year with Garras side not willing to make a wrong move and Rayas side more than willing to wait it out. Rick doesn't like that. Another mammal doesn't like that either, can you guess who?_

 _Mr. Big…_

 _What gave it away?_

 _The fact that you said the story will involve the Rayas and the Bigs._

 _Huh._

 _Yes, now continue!_

 _Ok, ok…So Mr. Big isn't happy about bodies being left in his territory, or the rise in petty crimes, or the fact that Rayas and the others were recruiting in his territory. Pretty much name a reason and that's why Mr. Big wasn't happy about what was happening in the Rainforest District. So the shrew reaches out to Rick. He wants to set up a meeting to discuss a way to end it. Rick refuses to leave the District afraid that he's going to be killed by the other family, so Big sends in a negotiator with a silver tongue to sweet talk the enforcer into stopping the bloodshed. It's a closed door meeting that no one knows what the two mammals talk about, but the results are well known. Rick convinces Juan to set up a meeting with Garras and the others. The argument being, why wage a real war when you can simply fake one? So both sides agree to meet in the Canal District, in an old abandoned warehouse that was owned by the Rayas family. The two sides bicker about who gets what, and why they should, but it slowly dawns on all mammals present that one is missing._

 _Rick…_

 _Exactly…For his third and final act, Rick locks and chains the doors to the warehouse except one. He then lights the entire building on fire, with all the mammals fighting to escape. Those who didn't die in the desperate struggle inside were gunned down by Rick as soon as they stepped outside. In one terribly swift move Rick ended a war that he thrived in. In the end, even with the war over, the District would never be the same again. While the canopy wasn't completely affected by the war, the ground level was decimated. If you drive thru on patrol, you'll see tons of abandoned homes and businesses. There's a catch though._

 _Oh?_

 _It's said that Juan Rayas had an heir. One that was kept in hiding just in case the war didn't go well. They say that eventually the heir will come forward and the war will continue…_

* * *

The two officers sat in silence after Reggie finished the story. The Weasel in silent contemplation over the events that led to his father's rise and fall. The Rabbit seemed to be lost in her own personal thoughts on the manner. The young officer shifted in his seat and looked over to the senior officer quietly gripping the steering wheel. "Hopps, even though this happened the way I told it is how it was told to me. Like a ghost story for young thugs." The doe's ears, which had started to droop, shot up and she turned towards the mustela. There was a frown on her face and her brow was furrowed in thought. "Why would any mammal do that?"

Reggie sighed. On a couple occasions he had wondered that himself. What was the point of remembering something so horrific? The reason the mustela came up with is the one he gave. "I think its so criminals remember that no matter how big you are, you can fall." The doe shook her head "No not that," Reggie's head tilted in confusion "why would Rick do that?" The mustela rolled his eyes. "His nickname was 'Mad Rick', so I would take a wild guess and say a crazy one?" The Rabbit's brow rose. "He didn't sound so crazy with those plans of his."

The Weasel's gaze hardened into a glare and the lapine's ears lower. "Crazy doesn't mean stupid. It means lack of empathy or sympathy." The young officer turned forward and stared at the abandoned streets. Reggie wanted to end the conversation there. He now realized his mistake in telling Hopps that story. Of course she would want to learn more. Of course a criminal like Rick would grab her attention and of course Reggie would have to dodge her questions. There was silence once again between the two officers as Reggie drummed his digits on the armrest of his door. "What type of mammal was Rick?" asked the doe. The Weasel glanced back over to the officer, who herself had turned forward to continue her constant vigilance of the street in front of them. "He was no mammal," started Reggie, pushing down the snarl at the memory of his father, "he was a monster."

The Rabbit frowned once again in thought. "I wonder how he turned out that way…" The Weasel blinked. "What?" The senior officer turned to look at the younger one. "Mammal's aren't just born bad Weaselton. Something must have happened to him…right?"

Reggie looked away and frowned. He had no answer for Hopps question. Thinking of Rick as being a victim of circumstance seemed impossible to the Weasel. It had always seemed to the son that the father caused his own problems. Rick could have ended the war by having everyone arrested. He could have turned them all over to Big. He could have simply walked away. Instead the older mustela removed all the players in a brutal fashion.

Once again silence reigned between the two of them before the mustela let out another sigh. The point of the story was to loosen the two of them up, not to drive a wedge. Rubbing a paw down his throat, Reggie forced a smile onto his muzzle and turned back towards the Rabbit officer. "Hey Hopps, Why don't you tell me a story? Something lighter than mine?" She smiled and turned back towards Reggie. "Sounds good to me! I could tell you about Bunnyburrow if you would like?" Reggie waved for the doe to continue. Her smile grew. "Why don't I tell you about the Carrot Day Festival?"

Reggie's smile stopped being forced. "I would like that."

The shift had been a quiet one, and so the rest of the time was spent swapping stories. Hopps regaled Reggie with all the different shenanigans that the Rabbit and her siblings had gotten into. She told him about a Carrot Day Festival where she announced her intent on becoming an officer. The more she talked the more Weasel smiled. Her family sounded amazing. They sounded very supportive of her and her career. In return Reggie told her about Mary, about all the dumb stuff they used to do when they were only kits. He told her about some of the scams that Duke had done, making sure to only mention the ones that were past the statute of limitations, and also the eccentricity that was Duchess. With each new story, time flew by until their shift had ended. After parking their cruiser and Hopps checking for any damages, they both briskly headed into the main building.

The Weasel had noticed a slight agitation in his partner once they parked. Hopps kept checking on the time, and even seemed to skip a few steps at the end. This wouldn't have interested the young officer if not for this morning. "Something wrong Hopps?" An ear turned towards the Weasel but the officer kept straight ahead. "Nope Reggie. Just want to get this paperwork done and head over to Nick before visiting hours are up."

 _"Ah…Well I think I can help with that…"_ thought Reggie.

"Hopps wait," the mustela started, stopping in his tracks. The Rabbit followed suit and turned towards the Weasel. Reggie motioned with an open paw. "Give me the keys." Hopps head cocked in confusion "What?" "Give me the keys and I'll take care of the paperwork for today" Reggie interjected. With a shrug he continued. "Nothing really happened today, so it shouldn't take me that long." The grey doe handed over the keys with a smile and then flinched. Reggie frowned, "What was that?"

The Rabbit rubbed the back of her head and looked away in embarrassment. "I had to stop myself from hugging you." Reggie smiled "Well thank you for Omph!" The grey missile that was Hopps collided into the Weasel officer. Caught off guard, Reggie kept his arms even with his shoulders.

The doe let go of the mustela with a broad grin. Reggie's brow rose. "Couldn't resist a second time?" Hopps shook her head "Nope! Don't worry Weaselton you'll get used to it." The Weasel didn't believe so, but didn't voice his opposition. Hopps straightened up and gave the young officer a serious look. "Officer Weaselton," Reggie snapped to attention instinctively "enjoy the rest of your day."

The Weasel smirked. "You as well, Officer Hopps." With a crisp nod and a smile, Reggie watched the Rabbit shoot past towards the locker rooms. The young officer couldn't help but be impressed at how fast the senior moved.

 _"She puts me to shame that's for sure."_

With a contented sigh, the young officer strode to the front desk. Still sitting at the desk was Clawhauser, typing away at his computer. Reggie assumed finishing up for the day. "Hey Clawhauser," Reggie called out as he approached "got a set of keys for you."

The rotund feline swiveled forward, eyes scanning above before looking down towards the Weasel. The Cheetah smiled and then a concern shown on his face. "Reggie how was today with Judy?"

A brow rose on the Weasel. "Fine. It was slow, but no problems…why?" The feline's eyes narrowed. "No giant conspiracy or government cover-up? No smuggling rings or freaky bug growth experiments?" The Weasel frowned "No government cover-ups or smuggling rings or… **WAIT** **Bug growth Experiments**?!" The last part of Clawhauser's comment sunk in as Reggie was talking.

The feline nodded. "I think she was with Delgato when that one happened. He couldn't it Bugburger for a whole month afterwards. Then there was Wolfowitz and that catnip smuggling ring, which wouldn't have been a big deal if they weren't skunk smugglers. Poor wolf was out of commission for a whole week. Then there was the car chase with Jackson. The illegal gambling ring with Bleatson. Oh and what happened to Trunkaby!' The feline shuddered. "We don't talk about that."

"The odd thing is that it seemed to not happen once Nick arrived. Whether that was because Judy had already cleaned up so well or for some other reason I'm not sure," Clawhauser finished with a shrug. All Reggie could do was stare as Clawhauser ticked off case after case that apparently Hopps was involved in. With the cat done talking, and a shake of his head, the Weasel refocused. "What happened to Trunkaby?" the mustela asked in trepidation.

"Weeeeelllll…usually I don't talk about it," Clawhauser started off, his gaze wandering up to the ceiling then focusing back on the Weasel. "But I think you should know since you're partnered with Judy right now." The Cheetah hunkered down on the desk and waved for Reggie to come closer. With hesitant steps, the Weasel moved forward. With a look left and right, Clawhauser started to speak. "So Judy and Francine were partnered up for a few weeks, and this was after the whole 'Evil Bug Takeover'" the feline started, air quoting the last statement, "I think the Chief thought if he put his biggest officer with Hopps then maybe they wouldn't get into much trouble?" "That didn't work did it?" Reggie asked almost rhetorically. Clawhauser shook his head. "A week in and Judy and Francine stumble into a counterfeiting operation. Normally this would be great, except they actually stumble into it since it was a rodent operation. One thing led to another and thousands of arrests were made that day." The feline leaned in closer and Reggie followed in suit. "Have you ever seen 'Dawn of the Dead'? Especially the scene where all the zombies are climbing up the Rhino survivor?"

Reggie nodded. It was a classic scene in cinematography. The Weasel froze mid thought and stared directly into Clawhauser's eyes. "Did that happen to Trunkaby?" He asked hesitantly. The grimace on the feline's face was enough of an answer for the mustela. Reggie involuntarily shuddered. Clawhauser started waving his paws frantically. "Bu-but she wasn't injured too badly! I mean eventually the bites healed! She just…couldn't work…Little Rodentia for a while…" The Cheetah tapered off at the end and the mustela simply stared into space. With another shudder, the Weasel placed the cruiser keys on the desk. Wished Clawhauser a good night, and went to finish the paperwork for the day. Reggie had a sinking feeling that he was about to have a **Very** long three weeks.


	24. Dust Up

**Hello Readers,**

 **Hope your enjoying the story so far. There is only a two chapter difference between this upload and over at AO3, so what I have decided to do is catch this one up with that one. Expect an extra chapter next week, and then it should be all caught up. Criticism always welcome!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Chief Adrian Bogo stood menacingly behind his office desk. Hooves planted firmly on the top, and leaning over slightly, the Bull glared at the officers before him. Four of his officers had been involved in a recent shooting in Sahara Square, including his two smallest who had only be partnered together for three days. From the conflicting reports of eyewitnesses, the claims of Police Brutality by one of the arrested mammals, and the immediate inquiries from Mammal Resources, what should have been a simple arrest turned into a circus! The four officers in question were Siberian Tiger Andrew Jackson, who was standing behind one of the chairs. Timber Wolf James Wolfowitz, who was sitting in the chair Jackson, was behind. His right sleeve was rolled up revealing medical bandage wrapped around his upper arm stained slightly with the crimson of blood. Sharing the second chair was Rabbit Judith Hoops and Weasel Reginald Weaselton. Weaselton's left eye was swollen and once again his uniform was disheveled. Hoops and Jackson both looked like model officers with their uniforms. All of the officers looked worried. Wolfowitz and Hoops ears were down, Jackson was gripping the back of the chair desperately and Weaselton...well with his one eye swollen it was hard to read the mustela officer.

"What happened?" asked Adrian with a growl. Bovine or not, when working with Predators you learn certain tricks. Being Chief of Police meant that the Cape Buffalo had time to practice his growl. The effect was immediate on his officers with all of them flinching and trying to make themselves smaller. There was silence once again, which led to an annoyed snort from the Bull. "Jackson," the Tiger snapped to attention, "What in horns above happened out there?"

The Tiger gulped and gripped the back of the chair once more. "Everything sir?" the feline asked cautiously.

The Cape Buffalo nodded "Everything."

Jackson breathed a calming breath. "Ok..."

 _"Are you seriously telling me you prefer Captain Quirk over Pigard?" Andrew asked incredulously. He couldn't believe the white Wolf sitting next to him as they drove through Sahara Square. They had been assigned to assist in Precinct Two, but the day had been a slow one. So Jackson found himself taking part in one of his favorite hobbies, talking Fur Trek with Wolfowitz._

 _The Wolf scoffed and waved his paw at the feline. "Just because you can't handle the male that is Quirk doesn't mean that he's 'somehow'" the wolf making air quotes "worse than the bagpipe player that is Pigard."_

 _"Oh please." Andrew responded while rolling his eyes, "if Quirk couldn't punch or kiss his way out of a situation then he was completely useless. Pigard at least used strategy and tactics to fight his enemies. Are you going to sit there and tell me that Quirk could have handled the Horde?"_

 _"Look" started Wolfowitz, pointing a digit at the larger mammal next to him, "half the time Pigard had to rely on XJ-9 or J to get him out of a situation. If we are talk-i"_

"What is the point of this?" bellowed the Chief. For some reason Jackson decided to give him a point by point breakdown of him and the wolf's argument.

 _"Besides I've always been a Quirk fan."_ The Cape Buffalo thought.

The Tiger shrunk. "Well sir you said to tell you everything that-"

"About the incident Jackson. Not your day." Adrian interjected. He closed his eyes and pinched between them. Taking a deep breath, the Bull tried to calm his growing frustration. A headache was already starting to build.

"Start from when you and Wolfowitz respond to the call," the Cape Buffalo finally responded. He stared once more at the Tiger.

Jackson brought a paw to cover his muzzle and cleared his throat. "Right...so me and Wolfowitz receive a call from dispatch..."

* * *

 _"This is dispatch calling P. One, car sixteen," a feminine voice called over the radio_

 _Andrew grabbed the Mic and keyed it. "This is sixteen."_

 _"A silent alarm has been triggered at Lemming Brothers Bank on Dustbowl Ave. No reports otherwise."_

 _The Tiger chuffed and the Wolf next to him scoffed. "Going in blind I see," murmured Wolfowitz, "This is why I prefer Clawhauser. Even without reports he still knows what's going on."_

 _The feline nodded in agreement and keyed the Mic once more. "Car sixteen responding."_

 _"Affirmative Car sixteen. Back-up is five minutes out."_

 _A sigh now escaped the large feline. A possible Bank Robbery in progress with back-up too far out to assist if the perpetrators are armed with any weaponry. It could badly too many different ways, but the Big Cat knew that it was his job to respond and create the best result. Jackson once again keyed the Mic, "Copy dispatch. Car sixteen out."_

 _Hanging up the Mic, the striped feline heard the white wolf chuckle. "Looks like we're on our own."_

 _Andrew frowned. "Back-ups coming Witz. Don't worry about it."_

 _Another chuckle from the wolf and the Big Cat heard his partner shift in his seat. With a click, the red and blue lights of cruiser turned on and Jackson accelerated the vehicle. "Whatever you say Jacks."_

 _The two officers neared their destination, turning off the lights and sirens in order not to alert the robbers. The bank was located in the middle of a large strip containing stores of different variety. It was a normal hotspot for tourists with its location mere blocks away from Palm Springs Hotel and Casino. Add to that the desperate mammals who lose everything at said casino, and next to a gift shop is located a pawn shop._

 _The striped officer turned onto Dustbowl Ave, the bank appearing on the driver's side of the car as the Officer pulled to a stop before coming into view of the structure. Compared to the buildings surrounding it which were made of concrete and all had a yellow paint on them, the Lemming Brothers Bank's façade had grey granite. Large glass doors with brass handles were the entry, with only small windows on either side to let in any form of natural light. It stood at least an additional story above all the surrounding buildings. It looked like a fortress._

 _The Tiger exited the cruiser, and heard Wolfowitz do the same on the other side. The striped feline readied his paw over his tranq pistol and advanced. A Rhino burst through the glass doors as the two officers made it to the front of their vehicle. Behind the larger mammal scurried out a Cheetah with a large black duffel bag and what looked like a small Kangaroo to the feline officer. All three animals were wearing black attire that looked sweltering in the heat. There was a brief pause as the officers and would-be robbers made eye contact. Jackson's eyes shifted down to the hooves of the Rhino and then back up to the larger mammal. In the mammal's hand was a long black metal item. It was bulky in the back, leaning against the crux of the Rhino's arm and tapered off into a thin end. It looked small in the hooves of the Rhino, but Jackson could tell if he held it than it would perfectly fit his size. The grey animal turned the object towards the officers._

 _"_ _Oh Rutt-Jacks down!" yelled Wolfowitz._

 _The Tiger threw himself left into a café front, hiding in the doorway as a sound that Andrew could describe as continuous thunder erupted from the suspects. He glanced back at the cruiser just in time to see the side mirror explode and fall from its position. Holes started to appear on the side of the vehicle, followed by pieces of sidewalk where the Tiger had been standing flying upwards. Andrew huddled lower to the ground and pressed himself into corner. He heard the projectiles bounce off metal and concrete, and the cracking of the café glass he was next to. The screams and cries of different mammals filled the air. Finally the firing stopped and he looked around the corner. A guttural laugh cut through the sounds of chaos around him. The feline saw that the laughter was coming from the Rhino with what he now knew to be a gun. The Cheetah and small Kangaroo were still present, but the smaller mammal was hiding behind the largest ones leg and the spotted feline seemed to be pulling on the Rhino's arm. The largest mammal shrugged the Cat off and turned his sight directly on the striped feline._

 _Andrew ducked behind the corner once more as the concrete of the building flew past his head. Debris littered his fur and uniform as he tucked his arms and legs in and tried to cover his head. It was only when he felt something smack the right side of his head that Andrew realized he had drawn his Tranq pistol. The firing stopped once more and the Tiger looked towards the cruiser to see any sign of Wolfowitz. At the back of the cruiser, leaning against the bumper was his white wolf partner. Right side showing to him, the Tiger saw the tear in the lupine's uniform and right arm hanging limply. The wolf turned and fired with his left paw._

 _The Tiger steadied himself and leaned against the corner and looked into the café. There was a family of gazelle in the store, hiding behind an overturned table. The officer could see their horns sticking out, two large pair and one small set. One of the adults looked over the table at the feline and started to stand. Andrew motioned for them to stay down and the gazelle followed the silent instruction. The gunfire started again, bouncing off the side of the cruiser once more and aimed at Wolfowitz. Andrew wheeled around the corner enough to aim and fire his pistol. He was able to squeeze off three darts, before the fire returned back onto him. "Back up needs to come," growled the feline, keeping his back towards the oncoming fire and trying to make a smaller target. It was not looking good to the officers, but dispatch said back-up was five minutes behind. "Might not have five minutes," grumbled the Tiger out loud, as he wheeled once more and tried to put down the insane Rhino._

* * *

Other than Jackson giving his account of responding to the crime, no other noise was made by the other officers. Adrian was rethinking that this was a simple arrest. The reports from Precinct Two suggested to the Bull an easy arrest, but the account that the Tiger was giving suggested anything but. The preliminary interviews with civilians and the gun at the scene, with early pictures of the damage to the cruiser sent to him suggested to the Cape Buffalo that the striped feline was giving an accurate account. So why did the Precinct Two report differ?

The Bull frowned and shifted his gaze to the white wolf. "Do you support this account so far Officer Wolfowitz?"

Wolfowitz straightened up in his seat, "Yes sir. The only difference is I was able to make it to the back of the cruiser and received a wound to my right arm."

"How bad?" questioned the bovine.

The wolf shrugged his right shoulder "Can't lift anything heavy for two weeks Sir, at least that's what the paramedics said. Will get it checked out by a doctor after my shift."

The Bull nodded, "Head to the hospital once we are done here, understood?" The wolf gave a left pawed salute in response. Adrian turned his attention now to the smallest officers in the room. Officer Hopps ears were lying against the back of her head, but still sat up straight and held a professional demeanor. Officer Weaselton sat up straight as well, but like his partner, decided to lean further back against the chair. He kept stealing glances at the Rabbit, but there didn't to be any emotion behind the mustela's gaze. "Officer Hopps," the lapine officer ears rose as the Cape Buffalo directed his attention towards her, "you and Officer Weaselton were supposed to be in Savannah Central looking into a graffiti tagger, yet to my surprise you were the first responders to help Jackson and Wolfowitz. Care to explain?"

The Rabbit's ears sunk back down as she stammered over her words. "Well…you see…uh…Chief…what happened was-"

"It was our lunch break," interjected Weaselton, Adrian's gaze shifting to the Weasel, "we were heading to Sahara Regional to drop off some cards for Officer Wilde that Clawhauser had given us."

The Bull glared at the mustela officer, but Weaselton didn't shrink. Adrian turned back towards Hopps, "Is this true?" The Rabbit nodded quickly and seemed to relax a bit. "It goes against procedure to make personal visits while on the clock," started Adrian glancing between the two small officers. Hopps looked like she was going to speak, but a quick tap on the shoulder from the Weasel stopped her. "However since it was your lunch break, then I see no need to make note of it… _this time…_ " The Chief didn't care honestly what his officers did on their break, so long as it was legal. That being said he didn't want any of the officers present to get it in their heads that taking personal trips out of their area was acceptable. "Now Hopps, please explain to me what happened." Adrian said, sitting down in his chair and folding his hooves on his desk.

The grey doe closed her eyes and cleared her throat, then began to speak. "When we arrived in Sahara Square, we spotted our suspect from the tagger case…"

* * *

 _Judy was running full sprint after the grey fox wearing a white hoodie and black backpack. Small even by that species standard, there was no question to the Rabbit officer that the culprit was a kit. "Stop in the name of the law!" she shouted, pushing her legs to catch fox before it rounded the corner onto Dustbowl Ave. In her time on patrol she knew that he would be able to lose her in the crowd. The gap that the small vulpine started with faded quickly, and Judy could almost reach his tail. Just as the fox slowed down to turn the corner; the lapine officer launched herself tackling the suspect to the ground. As she pulled out her cuffs, smiling at their luck, the sound that was familiar but could only be described as rolling thunder echoed throughout the street. Mammals of all shapes and sizes started running in her direction in a panicked frenzy. Through the legs of the crowd she spotted a Rhino, Cheetah and Wallaby where the noise seemed to stem from._

 _"Hopps!" yelled Weaselton behind her, before a paw grabbed her and pulled her back around the corner. The Weasel officer than grabbed the grey fox, frozen in fear, and dragged him around the corner._

 _"What's going on Reggie?" shouted Hopps as the thunder died down, but the cries of passing mammals could now be heard. She looked over to the Weasel who had pushed the kit fox against the wall._

 _"What's your name?" Shouted the Weasel, teeth bared at the cowering vulpine._

 _"C-Calvin R-Renar," stuttered out the still shocked grey fox. The stream of mammals was now passing the three. Lemmings in business suits, camels in Pawaiian shirts, foxes, lions, bison and every mammal in between, all ran in fear. Another burst of noise and more cries in terror had Hopps splitting her attention between the Weasel officer and trying to see around the corner._

 _"Alright Calvin, me and my partner know you have been tagging Savannah Central. We caught you in the act of tagging now in Sahara Square. What you are going to do is apologize to everyone you've tagged and offer to paint over it got it?" The grey fox didn't respond, frozen in shock. Weaselton shook the young mammal "You got that?!" The grey fox started nodding frantically. The Weasel let go of the mammal, and pushed the fox towards the way they came. "Get out of here NOW!" commanded the mustela officer._

 _Hopps watched their suspect take off down the way they came, joining the dispersing crowd. She moved to protest, but the Weasel moved around her to peak at what was happening on Dustbowl Ave. "Weaselton, what's going on?" the Rabbit officer asked._

 _The Weasel looked up at the lapine officer. "That's the sound of gunfire Hopps, can't you recognize it?"_

 _Truth was Judy had only heard gunfire from movies, television shows and when Nick was shot. Even still on television it always seemed much quieter, and the gun used on her and Nick sounded so much slower. It was never covered in the Academy, though now that she thought about, it didn't make sense why. The Rabbit looked around the corner. Her eyes weren't as good as some of her fellow officers, but even she could make out that the Wallaby hopping up to pass something to the Rhino. The grey mammal did something that she couldn't see before the gunfire continued once again._

 _"Fleas and Ticks they're shooting at a cruiser!" Weaselton exclaimed._

 _The crowd had finally dispersed, leaving deserted streets. Judy frowned; there was no cover between them and the gunmammals. If they turned on them, they were sitting ducks. They needed a way to assist their fellow officers and fast. The doe glanced up the building and across the edge. The building the mammals were standing in front of was larger than the ones surrounding it, but the rest were level with each other and possibly only a story high a piece. A plan came together. "Reggie, I need you to boost me," started Judy, as she started to back up into the now empty street they were still on. She knew that all sidewalks in Zootopia were a regulated six feet in length. Each street was fifteen feet wide. Standing in the middle of the street and subtracting two feet for the foot that Weaselton would theoretically take up and the foot necessary to jump, she would have eleven and a half feet to make a ten foot jump. The doe wasn't sure if she could jump straight up that height, but it was the only way to go unnoticed._

 _"What?" the mustela officer questioned as he turned back to find Judy standing in the middle of the street._

 _"We need to hurry Reggie. I need to get up there and give them support. It's the only way we can help!"_

 _The Weasel stood confused, looking between her and the building at his back, before he seemed to understand what she needed him to do. He braced himself against the building and laced his digits together, cupping them in front of him._

 _Hopps is sure she heard the Weasel mumble something about 'suicidal rabbits', but she let that slide as now was not the time for petty squabbles. He nodded and Judy sprinted forward. The distance between them vanished in an instant, and Judy hopped towards the paw hold. As soon as her hind paw hit the mustela's intertwined paws, she realized a mistake. His paws were too small to hold both of hers, and her other one landed right on his arm._

 _Instead of toppling over or giving way, Weaselton let loose a snarl and pushed Judy up. Before reaching the zenith of his reach, Judy used her built up speed and pushed off of the Weasel officer. She flew parallel with the building and grabbed onto the edge with the tips of her digits, digging her claws into the concrete as she began to slip. Quickly Judy used her larger hind paws to find traction and scramble up the side of the building. She wanted to revel in what they had just done, but fellow officers were in danger so it would have to wait. Before moving forward, she leaned to shout down at Weaselton to stay hidden, only to find the corner abandoned and her partner not below her. It didn't take long for the doe to figure out what the younger officer had done._

 _"Dumb Weasel," Judy muttered to herself as she ran across the lip of the building towards the assailants. The fire had stopped again, but she caught the Wallaby landing behind the Rhino and could tell he was reloading. The Rabbit glanced down to see the Weasel officer running parallel with her on the ground. Tranq pistol drawn, the mustela officer seemed to be staying lower to the ground than he normally ran. Focusing back on the criminals, Hopps saw the Rhino holding the gun and start to fire again towards the cruiser, but the Cheetah turned towards their direction and seemed to notice Weaselton. The Big cat pulled on the Rhino's arm. The Rhino stopped firing and turned towards the feline. Judy was still two buildings away as the Rhino started to turn towards the Weasel._

 _"Crackers!" the Rabbit thought as the dug deep and gritted her teeth, trying to get any extra speed possible. The officers next to the cruiser started to emerge. Judy could make out a Tiger and white Wolf now sprinting towards the turning Rhino. If he turned that gun either left or right someone could be hurt or worse…_

 _"No!" Judy shouted. On the building next to them, the doe acted instinctively gave a short hop towards the edge of the building. Planting her hind paws and compressing her body, the Rabbit launched herself off the edge aiming directly at the Rhino. Mid-air she twisted, bringing her hind paws directly lined up with the head of the Rhino. Before contact was made, she started to uncoil her legs, releasing all of her momentum into the side of the larger mammals head. The sting from the impact left her legs momentarily stunned as she fell to the ground. Dazed she grasped for her tranq pistol, but a black and brown figure cast a shadow over her._

 _"You shouldn't have done that miss," said the figure that Judy started to realize was the Wallaby._

 _The Rabbit struggled to undo the strap to her holster as a much larger hind paw came to hover over her face. She crossed her arms over her face to protect from the marsupial's blows, when the familiar sound of gas compression met her ears._

 _Thunk_

 _Thunk_

 _Judy peeked up to see Wallaby wobbling, surprise evident on the mammal's face. A familiar brown paw grabbed the criminals arm and spun him around. There were two more darts sticking out of his back. Eventually the marsupial fell backwards onto his tail and was guided to his side by Weaselton._

 _"You alright Hopps?" asked the Weasel, concern obvious in his voice. She nodded._

 _"He's getting away!" shouted familiar voice. Judy looked to her right and saw Jackson and Wolfowitz approaching._

* * *

Weaselton cleared his throat and Adrian watched him sit forward.

"I think I should take over from here," said the Weasel.

The Cape Buffalo nodded. "Very well, then."

"With two of the suspects apprehended, but with my error of securing my side of the street, the Cheetah slipped past me," the mustela officer started, "none of us were going to be able to catch him on foot, and that's when I came up with a….plan of sorts."

The Bull snorted and shook his head. "This ought to be good."

* * *

 _As Reggie lowered the brown mammal to the ground the side, a shout in front of him caught his attention._

 _"He's getting away!"_

 _He looked up to see a familiar looking Tiger and Wolf, but the Weasel couldn't remember their names. Turning around to where they were looking, the mustela cursed to himself as he saw the Cheetah sprinting down the street. He quickly turned back to the officers around him. Hopps was struggling to back up, but the blow she landed on the Rhino still had an obvious effect on her. She was unsteady standing and in no condition to try to run down the spotted feline. The Tiger looked out of breath and the Wolf was injured. Reggie also knew that he would not be able to get anywhere near the feline's speed. Still the mustela and the Tiger ran after the Cheetah._

 _Ground was being lost as both officers were quickly being outsprinted by the spotted feline. The two officers kept chase, but it seemed like the criminal would get away. The tranq pistols were only good at close range and normally stationary targets. A Cheetah running full speed would easily be missed by even the best shot. The suspect was closing in on the corner that Hopps and Reggie had come from._

 _"If only they were longer range…or I was closer …"Reggie thought. The mustela's eyes went wide at the idea he just had. It seemed stupid, reckless, desperate, and more than likely wouldn't work, but something needed to be done. "Officer!" exclaimed the Weasel._

 _"My name is Jac-" started the feline._

 _"No time! I need you to throw me at the suspect."_

 _"You What?!"_

 _"No time to explain. Throw me!" shouted the Weasel. Reggie swiftly put his still drawn tranq pistol back in its holster._

 _The Tiger scooped down and grabbed the middle of the Weasel. Reggie ducked his head towards his chest and brought his arms to cover his head. "Hang on," said the feline._

 _Reggie closed his eyes as he felt weightless as the striped officer picked him up. Then a feeling of flying through the air that lasted until the Weasel slammed arms first into a solid object. His arms and head stayed put the rest of his body flew up from the impact. Eyes still closed, the mustela officer felt his body summersault through the air. Reggie tried to scrunch his body tighter together, but failed to do so before he landed hard on his left side. The bruise on his side still wasn't completely healed and flared up from the fall. The impact left the Weasel breathless._

 _Uncurling his arms from his head, Reggie leaned on his elbows to train and catch his breath. Eyes open now, the Weasel saw the Cheetah not too far from him, bag still on his back but face first into the street. The spotted feline was struggling to get on his hind paws, and the young officer realized it would be a race to stand. Still dizzy from the throw, Reggie wobbled as he tried to get his paws underneath him. Gritting his teeth, the Weasel pushed himself with all his might to stand. Slowly the officer stood, but so did the spotted feline. Readying for a fight, Reggie stuck out his tail to gain balance a readied his shaken hind paws underneath him. The Cheetah stepped forward-_

 _-only to be taken out by a blue, orange and black roaring blur._

 _Reggie blinked._

* * *

"…So Officer Jackson subdued the suspect in quick fashion after the uh…consensual throw…?" Weasel finished weakly.

Adrian had closed his eyes during the Weasel's report, pinching the bridge of his snout in the hopes of alleviating his now growing headache. At the end of the young officer's report however, the Bull's eyes shot open. "Consensual Throw!?" The Chief said, voice rising in disbelief.

Weaselton wore a grimace and flinched at his own words being thrown back at him. "Well maybe that's a bad way to put it sir…"

"Yeah!" jumped in Jackson, drawing Adrian's gaze and ire, "it was more like a…uh…assisted tackle!"

The Cape Buffalo groaned and slapped a hoof over his face, pulling it down in the process. "An assisted tackle has nothing to do with throwing your partner Jackson." This did answer the questions about 'flying Weasel's and Rabbits', and also why M.R. was quick to want a response from him as well.

"Well…why doesn't it?" questioned Weaselton.

The Bull's gaze wasn't the only one that went to the Weasel, as the Chief saw all the officers' present look at the youngest member. "Really? Do you **_NOT_** see the problem in throwing your partner?" Adrian asked in obvious disbelief.

Weaselton squirmed under the gazes of all the mammals present. "Think about," the Weasel started, waving a paw in a circular motion, "Officer Hopps uses objects to tackle mammals all the time. She used the building in order to take down the armed Rhino."

"Hey!" Hopps tried to interject, but Adrian waved for her to quiet.

"I, as you can see," Weaslton continued, ignoring the Rabbit officer's outburst and waving to his legs, "do not have the legs to perform the same feats as Officer Hopps. So instead I asked assistance from Officer Jackson to achieve the same goal."

"You believe that Officer Hopps would have been able to tackle the Cheetah on her own using her unique method?" The Chief inquired. The answer was obvious to the Bull, but better to hear it from another mammal's mouth.

The mustela officer nodded. "If not for her takedown of the Rhino, she in my opinion would have taken down Cheetah singlepawedly. Also if not for my blunder, which I take full responsibility for, the…assisted tackle…would not have been necessary."

Silence once again filled the office as Adrian considered what the young officer was suggesting. It's true that so far the Z.P.D. had gotten lucky with Hopps and Wilde both bringing different abilities that allowed them to take down larger opponents while in pursuit. The Rabbit officer's physical skill and regime were well known throughout the office, and somehow the Fox never failed to outmaneuver a suspect. There was the possibility of figuring out protocol that allowed smaller officers to assist in the pursuit and capture of a suspect that would not be possible with two mammals that were the same size. Still the problem existed where an officer could become injured in such a maneuver. That would be a discussion another time with Major Friedkin. For now the Chief needed to finish this meeting and get on with the paper work. The Bull looked back at the Weasel and frowned, "Did you receive your injury during the takedown?"

Weaselton shifted uncomfortably, but a slight smirk appeared on his face. "Not during the takedown sir, but afterwards."

The Bull heard a slight chuckle come from Wolfowitz and turned his gaze to find the white Wolf quickly clearing his throat while Jackson tried to suppress a grin.

Hopps groaned before speaking, "Fine, if we aren't going to be adults about this, then I'll tell it."

* * *

 _Judy was standing on the back of the Rhino, putting the large mammal pawcuffs on the suspect. Weaselton and Jackson had arrived back with a very subdued Cheetah. She had watched the takedown of the spotted feline and was worried that her partner had injured himself in that foolish move, but he seemed fine enough. The lapine and lupine officers had been busy cuffing and securing the last two mammals. They had both decided it was necessary to tranq the Rhino with several darts in fear that if the Megafauna were to awaken before back up arrived. At the moment Jackson was watching over the Cheetah sitting on the curb and the passed out Wallaby while Weaselton stood close by to support. Wolfowitz was checking on if there were any civilian casualties. Thankfully it seemed that the Rhino's fire was directed at Jackson, Wolfowitz and the cruiser. Even still what mammals that remained on the street needed looking after and they had radioed for paramedics._

 _"Need some help Hopps?" asked the Weasel._

 _. "No I got-" Judy was interrupted by the sleeping mammal shifting underneath her. Losing her footing she fell backwards off the Megafauna._

 _"Hopps!" several voices cried out as she toppled down onto something hard, her elbow making contact with what she thought at first was a rock. The Rabbit regained her balance and landed back on her hind paws. "See nothing to worry about. He was jus- Reggie are you ok?"_

 _The Weasel was clutching the left side of his face and crouched low to the ground. A hiss left the mustela as Judy approached._

 _"Are you alright? What happened?" inquired the lapine officer, putting a paw on the young officer's shoulder._

 _Weaselton turned around with a pain filled grimace on his face, paw still covering his left eye. "That hurt Hopps."_

* * *

At the finish of Hopps statement, the Rabbit's head fell into her paws with ears covering both, as Jackson and Wolfowitz were laughing. Weaselton seemed to look away nonchalantly, but Adrian could see a faint blush in the ears of the Weasel. Even the Bull could admit that this development was amusing, but didn't dare show it.

"Chief, I'm not going to lie, I was worried about the Weasel Warhead," started Wolfowitz, calming himself down long enough to speak, "but the Rabbit's elbow seems to be able to defuse it!" Both the Tiger and Wolf laughed even harder, and the Cape Buffalo could see Hopps hiding a slight chuckle as well at the joke.

"Hey Wolfowitz?" chimed in Weaselton.

The white Wolf calmed down and cleared his throat. "Officer Torpedo," Wolfowitz replied as seriously as possible.

"I was going to ask you for a ride to get my eye check out from the hospital," started the mustela with a smirk, "but I wasn't sure if it was a good idea for the lame to lead the blind." The Weasel chuckled at his own joke, but none of the other officers did. Weaselton frowned, "That was funny, and you know it."

"That was terrible," mumbled Hopps behind her ears. The three senior officers laughed once more at the youngest officer's misfortune.

The Chief let the charade happen, because he recognized this for what it was. Four officers who had been in harm's way needed something to keep their minds off the 'what ifs' that would plague them soon enough. The Cape Buffalo had been there before, and it was one of the reasons that he preferred having these meetings after such stressful events. While he was no expert, Adrian prided himself in the ability to read his officers, and right now they all needed the humor. Eventually the Bull spoke up. "Alright that's enough of that," he commanded. All eyes were back on him and all mirth seeming to disappear as well. "I have one final question. When did Sahara Square back-up arrive?"

Both Jackson and Wolfowitz frowned at the question. "Dispatch said it was five minutes out, but didn't arrive until later than that."

"At least nine minutes sir," the Wolf added.

Adrian frowned. In a situation that Jackson and Wolfowitz were in, every minute counted. The fact that back-up was so late to arrive from the expected time was disconcerting.

 _"Though this may explain why Precinct Two has been playing the situation down…"_

The Chief of Precinct One knew he was going to have to schedule a meeting with the Deputy Chief of Precinct Two.

 _"Let's see that old Camello crawl his way out of this."_

The Cape Buffalo refocused on the officers present and sat forward, hooves intertwined and placed on his desk. Another beat of silence putting his thoughts together, the Chief spoke. "After hearing your initial reports, as well as corroborating reports from eyewitnesses, I have come to the conclusion that all officers present did their duty to the best of their ability." There was an audible sigh from all officers present, but Adrian wasn't finished. "However there still certain facts that I cannot ignore in this case. Officer Weaselton." The Bull's gaze fell on the ramrod straight Weasel. "While it was your quick thinking that allowed for the capture of a suspect, it was your lack of foresight that almost allowed said suspect to escape. Normally a reprimand of some form would be given, but considering your willingness to put yourself in harm's way today I have decided that it will be a Verbal Reprimand and _this_ is it. Do I make myself clear?"

The Weasel nodded, "Yes sir!"

"Don't disappoint me Weaselton…, Officer Wolfowitz," it was the Wolf's turn to be under the heavy gaze of the Chief. "I expect a doctor's report on your injury on my desk tomorrow morning. I may not be a doctor, but I've seen enough injuries to guess that the paramedics were correct and you will be assigned light duty until the doctor sees fit."

The Wolf's ears lowered. "…Parking duty…?"asked Wolfowitz pleadingly, hoping to avoid such fate.

"It's a possibility. Officer Jackson, your assignment will be day to day. You'll have to be the fill-in partner until Wolfowitz is ready, understood?"

The Tiger shrugged and smiled. "Wouldn't be the same without him, Chief."

"Internal Affairs will also be looking into the arrest of Timothy Spots, the Cheetah arrested today, to see if excessive force was used. Both you and Officer Weaselton will have to answer questions about the arrest." The smile left Jackson's face.

The Bull then looked at Hopps. Her ears were once again low, but she was looking him right in the eye. "Officer Hopps…all I have to say to you is good job…other than that all officers dismissed!" With that all officers gave a crisp salute and left his office, Hopps with a broad smile and a skip in her step. Once the door closed, Adrian let his head fall into his hooves. This arrest wasn't simple, it truly was a circus. Precinct Two trying to massage the facts didn't help the situation either. The fact that this was another incident with a firearm with his officers, and the growing number of instances throughout the city in the other Precincts, left Adrian worried.

"What is happening to my city," muttered the Bull quietly. Taking a deep breath, Adrian straightened up, opened his eyes, and went back to work.


	25. A Moment to Breathe

**Hello Readers,**

 **As I said last week, expect an extra chapter this week. I'll probably post it either Saturday or Sunday, whenever I get a free moment over the weekend. Next week will also have an extra chapter, but after that it will be one chapter a week. Criticism always welcome. Enjoy!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Nick was waiting patiently for his favorite Rabbit to arrive. Well if he admitted it to himself, maybe he could have been more patient. He had been stuck in the same room, only allowed to leave the bed to use the bathroom while nurses and doctors alike poked and prodded him with needles and medical instruments like he was a red pin cushion. They had said phrases like "muscular damage" and "post-surgery infection" for their reasons for the poking and prodding. Nick didn't completely believe what they were saying. He felt fine. Sure, he was sore, and his left arm didn't move too well forward, and since they had to shave the areas around his wounds, a bit itchy. Still he was in great shape! He was in great shape when he graduated from the Academy, and stayed in that shape thanks to keeping up with Judy as her partner.

The vulpine was shirtless, propped up in the hospital bed flipping through channels on a corner mounted television. Remote in paw, he stopped when the thought of who was Judy's partner while he was in bed. One Reginald C. Weaselton, rookie cop and personal pain in the tail for the Fox. Why couldn't he have been Duke's kit? Or even Duchess? The Fox got along great with female mustela, and even had a bit of history with her. If Reginald had been her kit, Nick would have welcomed him with open arms and taken him under his proverbial wing. Instead the officer had to be born from one of the few mammals that the vulpine would ever admit to fearing, old Richard Weaselton. Nick shuddered at the mere thought of the insane Weasel. _"Dead for ten years and still gives me the chills."_

He blinked, and looked down at the paw holding the remote. Nick hadn't realized how tightly he was holding the object. He sighed and closed his eyes. The vulpine knew the reason for his fidgeting. Judy was out there and he was stuck here. Her partner was a mammal that looked and sounded too much like his psychotic killer of a father that Nick had dealt with in the past, and oh by the way the little Weasel has a temper that could blow at any minute. That seems to cover all of the reasons for trepidation, and the only way it would go away completely is if the Fox officer was back next to his…partner. The Fox officer sighed once again, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to calm down before the Rabbit arrived. _"Judy…"_

When he woke up after the shooting, she was right next to him. In the same outfit from what felt like months before. He laid eyes on her and she smiled. After the Nighthowler incident, that's all Nick believed that he needed in his life. Her smile and her friendship and he could live a happy life. The tod hid the growing feelings that he had for the doe partner, believing that any slip up could break their relationship permanently. How wrong he had been, for when he was fully there, when the medication stopped making him drowsy and he could really focus on her beautiful amethyst eyes, that's when she hit him with three words that he never thought he would hear come from her outside of platonically. "I…love…you…"mumbled Nick to himself. Eyes still closed, but now pleasantly smiling as well. The Fox hoped that no matter how old he became, no matter what happened he hoped to remember that moment until his dying breath. Of course he returned the sentiment. In his cool, calm, collected, definitely didn't cry, and can't prove that he did type of way.

The Fox opened his eyes feeling lighter. While he and Judy hadn't specifically stated what they were, he knew that at least they were on the same page emotionally. That was better than it had been for months now. The uncertainty, the pining, and dare he admit it, the jealousy. All of these feelings could have been dealt with much earlier if he hadn't been…well a coward. Fear of losing or pushing her away is what sealed his mouth shut, but once again it was her perseverance and 'try everything' attitude that blew away his preconceived notions. He looked up at the television to check the time, and frowned. Scrolling across the bottom of the screen in bold letters Nick saw the words 'Officer Down.' _"Haven't they covered me enough by now? It's getting old really…"_ Nick thought. The Fox sighed and shrugged slightly, wincing at the brief shot of pain from his movement. "Let's see what else they are saying about me." He turned up the volume.

 _"…the coverage of an officer being shot in the Meadowlands."_ The Snow Leopard Fabienne Growley finished.

 _"That's right Fabienne,"_ started the Moose Peter Moosebridge, _"we go live to Dusty Bori for more information. Dusty?"_

The image shifted to a light brown Coyote standing sharply dressed in a blue blazer, blue tie and white undershirt. The reporter had his paw to one of his erect ears, and the other holding a microphone just under his muzzle.

 _"Peter, so far the community in the area is shocked that anything like this could happen in their area. Fifteen year veteran of Precinct Three Julius Moyer was shot at point blank range by an unknown assailant."_

A picture of a ram in dress blues appeared on the top left of the screen. Nick could see several service medals on the officer's formal uniform.

 _"Witnesses say that the assailant, also a Ram, approached Moyer from behind, pulled out a gun, and fired. Officer Moyer's partner, Officer Lynch-"_

A picture of a young mountain goat also in dressed blues appeared below the picture of Moyer. The Goat appeared to be much younger than the veteran officer. It appeared to Nick that Lynch may have only been a few years removed from the academy.

 _"-was unable to apprehend the suspect, but was able to stabilize Officer Moyer's wounds until paramedics arrived. Officer Moyer is now being treated in Meadowlands Regional Hospital and I've been told his condition is critical. This is just another string of events that have been plaguing all of Zootopia and the reintroduction of firearms back onto the street. With the injuring of Officer Nicolas Wilde and the incident in Sahara Square outside of Lemmings Brothers Bank, this marks the incident as the seventh event dealing with a firearm so far. That is the most in a single month in the last fourteen years. No official statement has been made by the Z.P.D. or the Mayor's office about the rise in violence. Back to you Peter."_

 _"Thanks Dusty. Now over to Dave for the Weat-"_

Nick turned off the television once the report was over. He was stunned. There was a difference between shooting at a cop at night, or even during a robbery like what happened to him. It seemed alien to the streetwise vulpine that an officer would be shot in broad daylight for the purpose of simply shooting him. He had been around during the Bad Old Days. He remembered the same thing happening to mammals all throughout the Rainforest District, and even some of the others once the violence spread, but never had any criminal specifically target an officer. His ears lowered slowly at what this could mean. It's possible that this could have been a one-time situation. A possible grudge that was settled in broad daylight instead of behind closed doors. _"Who you trying to convince Slick? There's only you here…"_ The vulpine gulped. Even though he stopped hustling years ago, that doesn't mean his senses were dull. Finnick may have joked that he went soft, but even Nick knew that there was something else at play. _"Why would someone want to target cops? It doesn't make any sense. There's no value to gain and all you get is the police putting pressure on whoever is responsible. So why…."_

His thoughts were interrupted by the jingling of the door handle turning. Ears shooting up and the tip of his tail began to wag. There was only one mammal who would be visiting him at this hour. The door swung open, and the tod recognized the faint smell of fresh cut grass and violets. It was a smell that he had become very familiar with the last three years. "Carrots," the Fox tried to say nonchalantly, "I was wondering if you had forgotten about poor, wounded me today." He finished the statement by placing a paw over his heart and giving the most pitiful look possible.

The grey doe chuckled and rolled her eyes at his antics. "Even if I hadn't been here after every shift, I'm pretty sure you would have called me until I came." The lapine was still in her uniform, but the vulpine wasn't going to complain about that. He would never say it out loud for fear of reprisal, but she always looked cute in her gear.

"If it counts for anything, the hospital finally figured out I was the one who kept calling in pizza," Nick started with a smirk, "they snatched, unlawfully I might add, my cell phone and said they are holding it until I'm discharged."

The Rabbit groaned and rubbed a paw down her face. She walked to the chair she sat, and apparently slept in, hopping with ease into the chair. It never left his bedside and, other than his mother, she was his most frequent guest. Shaking her head, she sighed "What am I going to do with you?"

"Well…you could always give me a sponge bath if you're in need for something to occupy your time." Nick said, wiggling his eyebrows for effect. He always knew how to push her buttons, and this new step in their relationship simply added a whole new avenue for the Fox to use.

There was a slight blush on the doe's face that rose through her ears, but she didn't break eye contact. Instead a seductive smile spread over her snout. "Well," she began in a sultry voice, batting her eyelashes at Nick, "I could do that, and help my big, handsome fox."

The tod was leaning forward, lost in her words and gaze. He wasn't sure if what was happening was real, or one of those infections the doctors were worried about roasting his brain to cause such a fevered dream. Another fact that Nick wouldn't admit to Judy was that his thoughts on his partner didn't always stay in the…family friendly… section. So the idea of her running her soft paws up and down his body was something that the vulpine definitely wanted to experience.

"…Or…"

 _"Uh Oh!"_ thought Nick with slight alarm as the tone and gaze of the Rabbit in front of him changed from lustful to annoyed in an instant _"Abort!"_

"I can get the nice nurse Anthony to scrub you instead." Judy finished, with a stern glare and paws resting on her hips.

"Anthony the Anteater nurse?" responded the vulpine, his cool slightly disappearing at the suggested threat, "but he has those claws-"

"-and I hear he's very thorough!" interjected the lapine with a now amused look on her face.

Nick groaned and leaned back into the bed. She had hustled him again, but he wasn't even sure what she wanted this time around. "What do you want?" He finally conceded. He looked back at Judy who now had a serious expression on her face.

"Stop calling the pizza for the nurse's station. I know you thought that it was funny and maybe get a slice yourself, but the delivery mammals kept wandering into the Emergency Room. So while the Nurses downstairs love you, the ones up here haven't had any of your labor. Also I'm the one who told them to take your phone away if you did it again."

"But Fluff," whined the tod, "the food here is _terrible_. I've been dying to eat me a slice of Mama Lucerna's cheesy goodness!" Even the thought of having food that wasn't jello packs and dried fish or bugs had his mouth watering. The hope was that eventually the nurse's would share said pizza with the kind Fox who had been sending it their way. Of course it may have helped also if he paid for them, but there was only so much one tod could do! He closed his eyes and threw an arm over them. The vulpine whimpered and whined as pathetically as possible for a few seconds before peeking at his lapine companion.

Judy sighed with a shake of her head, but there was a small smile on her snout when she spoke. "Ok…how about a deal. You stop ordering pizzas to the hospital, because even without your cell I know you would somehow do it, and the first stop out of here is to grab a large extra cheese veggie lover's pizza."

The Fox whined once more before speaking up, "…no carrots?"

This time the lapine couldn't contain her mirth and giggled behind a paw. "Other than me? No carrots."

Nick dropped the act, his signature smirk and half lidded eyes back in place, "I'm glad we could reach an agreement. Now could you possibly get my phone back for me?"

"Oh no Mister Fox!" exclaimed the Rabbit, "You still aren't getting your phone back. You distract Clawhauser too much and the Chief yelled at him today. You know how much I dislike seeing him sad. So until you're out of here, no phone." Judy spoke in a firm tone, and even shook a digit at the amused Fox.

Recognizing that he wouldn't be winning this argument anytime soon, he simply smiled and held out his paw, "Deal." Judy reached over and shook his paw, but instead of letting go at the end Nick turned his paw down and hers up. He rubbed the back of her paw, feeling the softness of her grey fur and enjoyed having her paw in his. Now that she was here in front of him, he could relax more. Still the news report and what Judy had told Nick forced him to voice his concern. He continued to look at her paw as he spoke. "I'm worried about you Hopps."

"Oh, why's that?" Responded the doe softly.

Nick continued to rub her paw, allowing it to calm his leftover worries. His uncertainty in her feelings had been replaced with uncertainty in her safety. The vulpine had always been protective of her, even though she could easily best him in the ring anytime, but the addition to guns to the street brought up memories of years past and looking over his shoulder. Zootopia was not a friendly place for the unprepared, and while he would always have her back, he couldn't find it in him to trust that Weasel. He looked directly in her eyes and spoke, "Are you sure you can trust Weselton?"

Judy sighed and shook her head slightly. This was a conversation they have had before after the first day she was partnered up with the mustela. He had wanted her to change partners immediately, but she wouldn't hear it. She removed her paw from his grip, and there was a moment of doubt that she would pull away completely. Instead she grabbed his paw in both of hers now. They looked so small compared to his. "Nick, I know you're worried about Reggie, but trust me. He watches my back and I watch his. That doesn't mean that I don't want you back as my partner."

The Fox leaned forward, still looking at her. One of her paws left his and came up to stroke the fur of his right cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. It was an intimate touch, one that he never imagined happening before, but now one of many that came from the doe.

"I need you to get healthy, ok?" she finished, a slight hitch in her voice.

Nick's eyes still closed. For all his personal worries and fears, he could sometimes forget that the unbreakable Rabbit that he loved could also crack. With his free paw, he reached over and placed it over the paw on his cheek. He then gently guided it to the front of his muzzle. The Fox placed a kiss on back of her paw. He heard a gasp of surprise from the doe. As much as he was adjusting to her touches, she was to his. He opened his eyes and saw a shimmer of wetness present in hers. "For you Judy, always." He replied. There was no sarcasm, no joke, just Nick being as genuine and as serious as possible.

She smiled in return.

* * *

Reggie had been enjoying his morning so far. The mustela's injuries were starting to heal nicely, with the swelling of his eye coming down after a few days. When he moved the fur around his left eye, he could still see a ring of yellow and brown bruised flesh, but it only hurt when touched now. The wound on his left side only looked bad now. The three pricks where Meocam's claws had sunk into his side had long scabbed over, but the Weasel wondered if the fur where those injuries were would grow back. Other than physically just, his mornings had become amazingly better since he and Sheri started talking more. They still had their little game where Sheri would guess his profession. At times it was quite comical, other times a little rude. "Wait, seriously? A trash mammal?" Reggie exclaimed, slightly insulted by what the Raccoon was suggesting.

Sheri shrugged in response, "Well I don't know. I'm flailing at this point."

Reggie groaned and shook his head. _"Trash mammal before Police Officer? Is it really that hard to believe?"_ He sighed in defeat and looked at the drink sitting on the table between them. When he first suggested it, the Weasel assumed that the game would be up rather quickly. Instead it had been decided that he wasn't a secret agent, sales clerk, accountant, short order cook, door to door sales mammal, janitor, bouncer and now trash mammal. Reggie glanced back at the barista and found her in even worse shape than he was. She wasn't looking at him and looked completely dejected. He frowned. _"I need to make this right somehow."_

"Hey Sheri…why don't I tell you and put aside this game huh?" Reggie offered. In the beginning this seemed like a fun idea, but now he regretted even suggesting it.

Sheri focused back on Reggie. There was something in her eyes that the mustela hadn't seen before. It was a fire that the smart Raccoon had never shown the Weasel before. It was determination. She shook her head, "I'm not giving up just yet Reggie." She folded her arms in protest and stared with an intensity that the young officer had only seen in Snarlov.

He shifted under her gaze. _"How could she get to me like this?"_ Reggie considered, _"I feel like a kit being told off by a teacher."_

"How about a change in the game?" she suggested.

The Weasel's gaze had started to stray, but at her words he found her gaze once more. "A change?"

She nodded, "Really a trade. I tell you something about me and you tell me something about your job. Of course not what it is," the Raccoon raised a paw to stop the Weasel's question before he could voice it, "just general ideas of what it could be. That way it's closer to twenty questions than whatever this is." The barista finished her statement with a roll of her paw.

Reggie frowned in thought. It sounded reasonable, and even fair. To make it even better he would learn more about Sheri outside of what she was at work. He didn't understand why, but he had been thinking more and more about the barista Raccoon. Simple things like what she did for fun? Or where she lived? Her favorite movie? Things that the mustela hadn't even considered asking before and now slightly regretted not doing so. This would continue their fun, as well as satisfy his growing want to learn about his counterpart across the table. He nodded in agreement, "Sounds good to me. When do you want to start with that new rule then?"

It was the Procyon's turn to frown at the mustela, with her paws overlapping and rubbing together. She smiled, "Now sounds good."

Reggie nodded again. "Do I ask my question first or do you?"

"No you go first. I'm patient enough to wait."

The Weasel considered the best question to ask, but there were too many. Instead he decided for something simple. "What's your favorite color?"

Sheri smirked and gave an amused look, "That's the question your going with?" She motioned up and down her form. "I'm wearing a black apron, black pants and black shirt, and you go with my favorite color?"

Reggie started to feel a little stupid for asking the question now. _"Right…Duh…Black…"_ He cleared his throat "Yeah…I guess that was kind o-"

"It's beige." Sheri interjected.

Reggie blinked, "…uh what?"

"My favorite color is beige." Sheri answered simply, "The Company makes me wear black," she waved her paw around the store for emphasis "I prefer soft colors, and for some reason beige has always felt to be the softest. I've always been weird like that I guess." She shrugged at the end of statement.

Reggie smiled "If it counts for anything I happen to like black as a color, and I think you pull it off quite well." There was a pregnant pause as what the Weasel said seeped in. His eyes went wide, "No wait…I didn't mean it like…uh…"

"So are you saying I can't pull off black now?" Sheri pushed, her arms crossing and a leg resting on another, bouncing on the other.

"No you can totally pull off black! I mean…You look…uh…professional?" Reggie finished weakly. He dug his own grave this time and there was no one to blame for his big mouth. There was silence once again as the Weasel shrunk under the gaze of the female before him.

Then the Raccoon laughed. She laughed and laughed, and held her sides in mirth as the mustela sat there in shock. She eventually stopped laughing and cleared her throat. "I think I understand what you're saying Reggie, and thank you for thinking that I look…professional." A blush appeared inside of her ears.

The Weasel let out a sigh of relief.

"Now it's my turn question," started Sheri, "do you wear a uniform for your job. Not like a dress code, but actual uniform."

"Yep," Reggie said with a nod, but shook a digit at the Raccoon as well, "that's all you're getting out of me today. I now have to go and…pick up trash I guess."

"I'm sorry!" Sheri said through a fit of giggles, as she covered her muzzle. "I'll remember you aren't a trash mammal."

The young officer nodded sternly "and don't you forget it ma'am. I do have to go though, so see you tomorrow?" He waved at the barista and headed to the door with his drink in paw.

Whenever he stopped at Snarlbucks, Reggie always felt ready for the day. The young mustela wasn't sure if it was his drink or the service, but he knew he wouldn't stop going there anytime soon. The sun was starting to rise and Savannah Central would start to heat up. As he walked his familiar route towards Precinct One, passing businesses that were still dark or only showing the faintest signs of life, his pocket started to vibrate. Shifting his drink from one paw to the next, Reggie reached for his phone in his right pants pocket and wondered who was calling. He frowned at the caller ID. It was Duke. _"He better not be in lock-up expecting me to get him out."_ Reggie thought darkly to himself. It wasn't uncommon for Duke to have one too many and get picked up for public intoxication, still this was either really early or really late for his phone call. He swiped the 'answer' icon and brought the phone up to his ear. "Duke?"

"Reggie is dat you's!?" shouted his uncle from the phone.

Reggie had to pull the phone away from his ear. "Yeah Duke it's me, who else would it be?"

"Ah Bite da Bitta Spirit, you's ok." Duke exclaimed.

The young officer frowned. While it wasn't uncommon for Duchess to say that phrase, Reggie couldn't remember a time when Duke said it at all. "What's going on?"

"You's almost at work?" Duke asked.

"Yep, why?"

"Quit."

The Weasel stopped midstride, eyes opening in shock at what his uncle just said, "Excuse me?"

"Regg, ya gotta quit. Some'em's happin right now, and you's and all da Z.P.D. are in troubles."

"Well you're going to have to give me more than that. We are the police. It's our job to get in trouble." Reggie was fuming, but trying to keep it out of his voice under control. Duke and Duchess had both tried to get him out of becoming a cop, but this is the most direct and confusing attempt so far.

"Ya don' understand Regg, some'em bad's about ta happen an I don want ya in da way."

"Duke…that's my job…I can't just run home with my tail between my legs whene-"

"Dammit Regg just listen to me!" Duke once again shouted "Some one's put a bounty on you's."

"Why would someone do that? I'm just a rookie."

"Not you's you, you's you as in da Z.P.D.," Duke continued to shout "there's a million dolla bounty on every offica."

The new froze Reggie in his place. _"A million dollar bounty? On every single officer? Why? Who?"_ The officer snapped out of his stupor and turned his attention back to the phone. "Who is it Duke?"

"Da's not imp-"

"Who is it?!" This time Reggie yelled into his phone. The fur on his tail puffing out, Reggie gritted his teeth as he waited for an answer.

Duke eventually sighed, and then responded. "I dunno. Who's eva it is ain't makin it known easy. Da word is only afta ya kill a cop will dey show up. I dunno dough."

Reggie listened patiently, closing his eyes once Duke finished. An enemy that isn't known is a dangerous foe. One that is targeting the Z.P.D. must be strong enough to pull it off too. There weren't too many organizations that could even hope to pull that off, yet all of them were treacherous. The Weasel exhaled deeply. "Thanks Duke," he started, eyes still closed. "Tell Mary and Aunt Duchess I love them. I'll try to keep you guys updated how I'm doing."

"No Regg, don do dis! Dere are otha cops. Come home!" His uncle pleaded.

Reggie smiled and opened his eyes. He felt like laughing. Maybe he was finally going insane? "I've got work Duke. Keep safe."

"No! Don-" Duke started to shout, but Reggie hung before he could finish.

Turning off his phone, Reggie walked over to the nearest trash can and threw out what was left of his drink. It didn't seem refreshing anymore. The Weasel started towards the direction of Precinct One. He was only a few blocks away, but it seemed like miles now. "So there's a price for my ugly mug," muttered Reggie to himself with a smirk as his pace picked up, "guess I should let the Chief know." As he said the last part, the young mustela started to jog, then running, until it turned into a flat out sprint. He needed to talk to the Chief, and he had a feeling that the Bull would listen.


	26. Turning Point

**Hello Readers,**

 **One extra chapter, slightly used!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Reggie was sitting at a brown wooden desk that was actually his size. The monitor in front of the Weasel was appropriately sized. The keyboard was made for slightly larger digits than his, but not so much larger that he had to slam the keys. The mouse glided on the desk was much smaller than the Grizzoli or Snarlov's, but was still slightly too big for his paw to fit comfortably. The mustela officer felt he should have been much happier using this set up than either of the Bear's, yet the knowledge of who normally used it made the continued use of the computer awkward for the young officer. He was sitting at Wilde's seat, using Wilde's desk, in the office that Hopps and Wilde shared with one another.

The Weasel tried to use Grizzoli's computer in the beginning of his partnership with Hopps. This lasted until both Snarlov and Hopps became annoyed with him. Hopps because it didn't make sense to the doe to walk between office's to talk to her partner, who could use the temporarily empty desk across from her. Snarlov was because, as he told Reggie after day two, "Grow a pair and get out, ya useless tunnel snake." This led to Reggie trying to get comfortable at a station that smelt like the mammal that he was still avoiding like the plague, and made difficult by the Rabbit's need to update the mustela to the comings and goings of the Fox in question.

To add to the young officer's stress, was the ever growing need for all officers to look over their shoulders. It had been four days since Officer Moyer's shooting, and while no other officers have been killed, there was a spike in assaults on uniformed officers. All of these attempted assaults were by known felons, and all led to the arrest of the perpetrators. Still, even simple traffic stops were being handled with extreme caution and any reports of firearms or gunshots was to be met with all available units heading towards that location. This meant that there were already times that minor crimes were overlooked. It was a chain reaction that Reggie understood, and one that the Weasel tried to voice his concern to the Chief about. If every officer was rushing towards one major crime, than the petty ones will continue to grow and eventually false reports will start coming in order for larger crimes to be committed. The Cape Buffalo had listened patiently to the young mustela's worries, something that Reggie honestly never expected, but gave a noncommittal answer to looking into the matter. The Weasel felt even more defeated after the conversation than he had beforehand.

Reggie sighed and hung his head into his resting paws. The report that he was working on at the moment was one of those attempted assaults. An abrasive, overweight for his species warthog decided to try his luck against the Weasel and Rabbit duo. It ended with said hog being knocked unconscious by the no nonsense doe. From what the mustela had read of the other attempts, this was the least threatening and most laughable attempt. Still there was an outstanding warrant for the hog's arrest, and Reggie wasn't going to complain about cleaning up the streets. This report was almost finished, but there were at least three more that he would have to fill out before his day was over.

"Hey Weaselton?" asked the doe from behind her own monitor.

Reggie looked up and around his set-up. All he could see was the back of her monitor and her ears erect above it. "What's up Hopps?"

"What would you call it when you defended yourself against the elephant's trunk with your baton?"

The Weasel let out a slow breath and leaned back in chair. If there is one thing that helped make up for Reggie sitting at Wilde's desk, it's that the Fox somehow was able to get one of the most comfortable chairs possible. It was sleek and rolled on its six wheels with ease. The metal armrests looked hard, but they actually curved in slightly so it felt as if they were cupping them in place. The fabric, a dark burgundy, was made out of some soft material that felt even better than the mustela's own bed. _"Maybe it's velour or something like that…if I don't watch it I'm going to fall asleep in it…again…"_

"Reggie!" shouted Hopps, startling the Weasel.

"I'm up, I'm up!" the shocked mustela exclaimed, bolting forward and leaning back on the desk. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the question, but all he drew was a blank. "Can you…uh…repeat the question Hopps?"

There was a heavy sigh from the Rabbit. "How would you describe defending yourself against the elephant's trunk with you baton?"

"Right, right," responded Reggie, he propped himself up with his elbows on the desk and focused on the question. An assortment of 'official' wording flickered in and out of his head as he tried to remember his classes from the Academy that seemed so long ago. His tired mind couldn't hold onto any of the phrasing that came forward, but then again since partnering with Hopps the Weasel's vocabulary had been found wanting. The young officer sighed and rubbed his eyes, "I just keep thinking 'Sword fought', but I'm pretty sure the Chief will actually blow up if you put that in."

The only sound from the other officer was the clicking of a clawed digit bouncing off the opposing desk. A clatter of keys being pressed as Hopps spoke and typed at the same time, "deflected…trunk…using…standard…police…baton…while…attached…to…suspect's…tusks…"

Reggie could only shake his head as he listened to the Rabbit officer try to smooth over the report. This event was another one of what he liked to think of as "Hopps' luck" situation. They simply pulled up to an Elephant that the grey doe had seen jaywalking. Any other officer may have simply let the 'civilian' go and try to focus on more serious crimes, but not Hopps. Instead she pulled the cruiser over and exited with a confused Weasel in tow to ticket said jaywalker. The Elephant, who if they were any normal passerby may have huffed and puffed but taken the ticket, decided to make a break for it. If they had been in Sahara Square during the middle of the day or the Rainforest during the hourly rainfall when every mammal is smart to stay inside then it wouldn't have been a problem at all. However the Elephant had been walking Savannah Central…during rush hour…

The damage alone from a panicking pachyderm anywhere could be insurmountable. Add in cars half the size of the rampaging mammal, and the City was looking at paying for quite a lot to hard working bystanders. Still, even with all of that, the Z.P.D. was willing to consider it a win.

"Suspect…found…with…one…hundred…pounds…of…loco…weed…"

Reggie smiled at that last fact. Just like "Hopps luck" could find him in a whole new world of trouble, it also brought unexpected gifts. The reason for the suspect's panic and subsequent running was because he had been carrying a ridiculous amount of narcotics taped to his front and back. Not the amount that will get you a slap on the wrist and community service, but the amount where someone is doing hard time. Being a large mega fauna, it made some form of sense why the Elephant was chosen to carry that much weight. Still in the middle of the day, in the busiest section of the city, this 'courier' decided to make his move, only to jaywalk in front of the only officer in the entire city who would give him a ticket. The Weasel couldn't help but chuckle at it now.

"What are you laughing about over there Reggie?" Hopps inquired, still typing.

"Just the insanity of all of this," Reggie replied with a flippant wave of his paw, "somehow you find a drug smuggler in the middle of the busiest area in town simply because he was jaywalking. Also I go for a ride on the front of an Elephant when he finally decides to confront us. Only for you to take him out with what I am now starting to realize is your patented 'flying kick.'" Reggie finished his statement with physically air quoting the final word.

The Rabbit couldn't see what the Weasel was doing, but the huff that she responded with seemed to suggest that she knew. "Officer Weaselton, I am simply an officer of the law. I enforce all laws that are passed by the City Council and signed by the Mayor. Simply because some of our other co-workers do not find it necessary to enforce **ALL** of the laws does not mean that we have that luxury as well. I should expect better of my partner." The Rabbit officer finished her statement with a sniff.

If this had been Reggie's first day with Hopps, he may have fallen for her words, but time in between arrests allowed for the Weasel to learn more about his temporary partner. The mustela officer sighed loudly. "How can other officers work for their paycheck if you keep taking the work from them?"

This earned a snort from the Rabbit officer. "Don't you mean how will you?"

The mustela barked a laugh from the lapine's response. He had to give her credit. She could keep him off balance. "Very nice Hopps," Reggie said getting up, standing to stretch out his back, "I think I need some coffee, how about you?"

"Sure I'll take a cup, but decaf please. I don't want to stay up all night."

The Weasel walked to their shared doorway, but stopped before exiting and turned towards the Rabbit. "You want it with sugar? Or just almond milk?" He asked looking at the Rabbit officer sitting at her desk.

She stopped typing and leaned back in her chair. Unlike the one Reggie had, hers was a standard chair that didn't look anywhere near as ridiculously comfortable. Hopps turned to the Weasel, brow furrowed in thought. "I think sugar should be ok, but make it only-"

There was a sudden knock on the wall behind Reggie, who quickly turned to see the new arrival. It was Wolfowitz. With all the action going on in Zootopia, Chief Bogo decided to halt parking duty until further notice. This meant that the white Wolf was stuck in the Precinct while the rest of the officers were going out into danger. It wasn't too often that Wolfowitz stopped by, but the look on the wolf's face told Reggie that it was an important matter. "You guys should come to the front desk." Was what Wolf said, but with ears pinned and a sullen expression, it was enough to get both smaller mammals moving. All three officers ran towards the front. With Wolfowitz and Hopps keeping pace and Reggie only slightly behind, the Weasel noticed that all of the offices were abandoned. The young officer had never seen anything like this before. Not a mammal was at their desk as the three sped through the hallway.

The reason became apparent when the trio entered into the larger front section of the building. Every single officer in uniform was circled around the front desk. Other mammals in civilian clothes, but that the Weasel recognized as officers were also standing in the crowd. There was no other sound except for the dispatch radio on Clawhauser's desk seemed to be turned all the way up. The mustela could hear the static and responses from other officers, but something didn't seem right. He didn't recognize any of the voices or names, and the Cheetah dispatcher's voice wasn't the one responding.

While Wolfowitz slowed down as the mesh of bodies became too thick, Hopps and Reggie continued to squeeze through the gathering trying to get to the front. When they finally reached the front, the static from the radio had disappeared. The young officer looked up to the normally cheerful Cheetah, only to find the feline sullen once more. Another radio had been set upon the desk, but had no microphone attached to it. It seemed specifically there to broadcast instead of to report. This didn't make sense to the young officer, and he knew the Academy didn't go over it as well. Finally after a few minutes of silence, a strained voice spoke up.

"This is Precinct Three dispatch Officer Niles T. Burns calling for Officer Julius Moyer…No answer from Moyer…Officer Moyer's watch has ended…Stay safe. Burns out…"

That was all that was said, yet murmurs and gasps filled the air. The young officer was confused about what just happened. He had never heard of a mammal's watch ending, whatever that meant. He frowned as he looked around, trying to catch any piece of information from the conversations happening around him. "Hopps, what's going on?" asked Reggie. He focused back on his Rabbit partner, only to find the doe in an unexpected state.

The grey doe eyes were closed, but her ears were swiveling continuously. Her paws were gripped tightly and her right hind paw thumped in a constant rhythm. She seemed to be lost in thought to the Weasel.

Reggie reached out a paw and touched her shoulder. The speed at which the lapine turned on the mustela startled the naturally quick mammal. The now opened eyes shone with an anger that the young officer had never seen in his partner. Behind her amethyst eyes was an inferno that seemed to burn all in its gaze. The young officer raised his paws in surrender and stepped back involuntarily. "Uh…sorry…" The Weasel couldn't remember the last time that he felt intimidated by any mammal, let alone one smaller than himself.

Hopps sighed and rested a paw on her hip. The other went to her ears as she ran the paw over her ears to rest them against the back of her head. "Sorry Reggie…I was listening to some of the conversations, and didn't like what I was hearing."

The Weasel frowned, but didn't respond right away. He let the lapine officer take several deep breaths before raising his question again. "What happened?"

The doe was about to speak, but a familiar baritone voice from behind the young officer cut her off. "They don't teach you anything at the Academy." Reggie turned to find Snarlov standing behind him.

The Brown Bear wore a stoic expression, but his eyes were softer normal. He spoke with arms crossed defensively. "We are one of the few professions that are never truly 'off duty.' E.M.T.'s, doctors, nurses, firefighters, and the police are mammals that no matter what or where will respond to an emergency. Its part of the job and everyone knows it. A 'watch' I was once told goes back to when the police were simply town watch. The phrase isn't used in our day to day, but tradition still states that when we go out on the beat, our 'watch' begins." The ursine kneeled in front of the mustela, an elbow resting on his bent knee and spoke quietly. "The radio up there is what we call the 'Tombstone'. We only bring it out for an officer's 'End of Watch' and it can only receive signals not transmit them…" he looked past the Weasel, "…the Chief once told me that after the first time, it gets easier." The Bear sighed, and for a moment the mask of indifference was lost and Reggie saw a deep sadness in the larger mammal. Snarlov shook his head and stood back up.

"It isn't right," spoke Hopps. Reggie turned to look at the Rabbit who had remained quiet during Snarlov's speech. Her eyes were once again enflamed as she swept the air in front of her with her paw. "Why aren't we out there looking for the shooter? We should be out canvassing every street for the…murderer." The last word was spat out by the lapine officer as a look of disgust played out on her face.

"Hopps," the Brown Bear started with a sigh, "what information we do have on the shooter puts who knows how many sheep in the police's crosshairs. Male, between the ages of twenty to thirty, white wool and curved horns? Officer Wolford and Fangmeyer are assisting with the search and I've heard that even they are having trouble. There isn't much any of us can do right now."

"There has to be something," the doe persisted, "we could…set up a tip hotline or go door to door. We have the mammal power here, why aren't we pushing more officers towards Precinct Three?"

"Because it won't help."

"We don't know that unless we try!"

"Hopps, you're not thinking clearly."

"Yes I am!" Hopps said in defiance, her ears rising as she stepped towards the larger mammal, "don't you see that we need to bring this mammal to justice."

"Don't you think I know that?" Snarlov bellowed. Anger now the only emotion on the Brown Bear's face. Paws clenched he stepped forward towards the doe. "Just because you solved two big cases doesn't mean that us other officers don't know how to do our jobs!"

The mammals that had been dispersing from around Clawhauser's desk all stopped and started to watch the argument between the two mismatched officers. Reggie started to grow nervous watching his partner and former partner quarrel. _"This could end badly…"_

Hopps recovered from her shock, her expression turning towards blind rage, as she once again stepped forward. "Well if some of you older officers had actually done your job three years ago, maybe it wouldn't have taken a bunny to solve those cases." The doe spoke in a cold tone that chilled Reggie's blood.

The look of shock into anger from Snarlov mirror Hopps a moment ago. The older officer stepped aggressively, closing the already small amount of space between the two mammals.

 _"Oh Rutt me..."_ Reggie thought, as he performed the only action that seemed reasonable. He stepped between the two fuming mammals. Paws raised on either side to try and somehow keep them separated, the Weasel tried to speak in a calm tone. "Hopps, Snarlov, let's take a deep breath. It's not a good sign when I'm the calm one…right?" The last part was meant as a joke, an ill-advised way to break the tension that had both senior officers glaring daggers at the mustela. Reggie tried not to shrink under the gazes of two mammals that he wasn't sure he could actually beat in a fight. Instead the young officer forced himself to stand taller, tail straightening out and puffing slightly. He was about to speak once more when another familiar voice spoke.

"Hopps…Snarlov…this is not the time to argue now is it?" the voice spoke. All three officers turned to see a more subdued Clawhauser speaking. The 'Tombstone' was now gone, and he sat with paws clasped upon the front desk. The feline was looking down on the three officers with disappointment. "I know that emotions are running high right now, but we are a family and we must remember that. Isn't that right?" A chorus of "Yes" came from the officers. The Big Cat smiled, "And family hugs, isn't that right Snarlov and Hopps?"

This time Hopps cringed and Snarlov stepped back involuntarily. "Uh, what?"

"Hug," Clawhauser commanded. Paws going to his hips and a furrowed brow, the normally jovial Cheetah seemed more serious. "You heard me," the feline said, flourishing a pointed digit at the two arguing officers.

Reggie stepped back and tried to hide his amusement as Hopps stepped towards Snarlov's. She rested her head on his leg, before, begrudgingly, wrapping her arms around the ursine.

"Snarlov." Clawhauser said in a warning tone.

A loud sigh came from the larger mammal, as he bent down and patted the Rabbit wrapped around him. Snarlov's paw looked easily able to cover all of Hopps, but with gentleness that Reggie wasn't even aware was possible by the ursine, he simply patted the doe's back.

"Well now, I think that's good enough!" The jovial desk officer stated with glee.

Hopps immediately dislodged herself from Snarlov's leg and stood with arms folded. "I have reports to finish." She said quickly, hurrying back to her office.

Snarlov harrumphed, "I'm gonna go punch something." The Bear walked towards the lockers.

Clawhauser giggled and Reggie was impressed by the outcome. "How did you do that, Clawhauser?"

The feline gave the mustela a wave with his paw and rolled his eyes. "Oh Reggie, this isn't the first time that a fight has broken out in front of my desk. I'm just glad it didn't end in actual fighting like some other times."

Reggie started to smile, but then a thought struck him. An officer had died and the police hadn't caught his killer. If the rumor was true, than that Ram was about to become extremely rich from killing Officer Moyer. There was something even worse than that though that had worried the Weasel even more. "It's only going to get worse, isn't it?" He looked up to the Big cat.

Clawhauser smiled a sad smile; one that Reggie had seen too much this past month. "Stay safe, Reggie."

* * *

Adrian sat at the head of a dark wood oval table in one of the smaller conference rooms of Precinct One. The room in question was just next door to his office, and had been considered the de facto meeting room for all ranked officers well before the Cape Buffalo was Chief. The walls were white and the flooring was bare concrete with the only entrance on the far left side. If not for certain differences, it could have been mistaken for an interrogation room. The differences being on the left wall of the bull were two large monitors connected directly to towers underneath and able to be controlled by a mouse or pointer. Across from the monitors were several wide windows that opened up to have an unobstructed view of City Hall. At the moment the sun was setting, giving a orange and yellow glow to the skyline. Adrian always considered the view a reminder for why they did their job. On the far wall in front of the Bull was a hung up analog clock that ticked away at the seconds, and a picture of the last Chief of Police below the clock.

The picture was another reminder, but it seemed that each Chief saw it differently. His predecessor in the picture, a black bear named Frank Kahru, had told the Cape Buffalo that he saw it as a reminder that every officer is replaceable, no matter how important. Adrian saw the picture as a reminder to do better, and not to make the same mistakes.

At the table sat four mammals. To his immediate right sat his Assistant to the Chief, a well groomed, middle aged lioness named Lisa Pridmont. Though dressed in her duty uniform, the feline focused more on the internal affairs of Precinct One. From accounting, to public relations, to Mammal Resources and even actual Internal Affairs, the Big Cat controlled the analytics of the building. Adrian used to try and micromanage his Assistant Chief, but generally with mixed results. It was after Hopps disastrous press conference that the Bull completely gave the reins over to the Lioness, and the results have been positive all around.

Next to her sat a representative from the Mayor's office, grey suit wearing Bison with the last name Worton. The mayor at the moment was a black and white stallion named Clyde Kale, a former representative of Sahara Square. Traditionally the seat would be for the Mayor or Assistant Mayor. After the personal pressure from both Lionhart and Bellwether on the Bull, and their subsequent crimes, Adrian politely demanded that Kale send a representative instead of coming personally. The Chief found it easier to say 'no' to a mammal that simply worked for his boss. In return, it seemed that the wily politician decided to send a mammal closer to Adrian's species in order to possibly sway the Chief. It hadn't worked so far.

To his immediate left sat Lieutenant Boris Olen, an old, grayed, and slightly balding on top Caribou who had been in Z.P.D. for thirty eight years, easily surpassing Adrian for Seniority. Normally the most senior officers were considered for the position of Chief; however it was a well known secret that Olen had simply waited his way into becoming a ranked officer. Thus when the time came to choose between the two Lieutenants at the time to promote to Assistant to the Chief, it was an obvious decision. The Lieutenant was slouched in his seat, wearing an old brown suit with shirt and tie that looked like it was brand new in the 80's.

To Olen's left sat Lieutenant Arnold Howlington, a red wolf who worked and coordinated the evening shifts. The lupine sat in a blue suit, closer to the dress uniform color, with a lighter colored blue shirt and white tie with the coloring allowing for the natural rust red of the wolf's fur to stand out more brilliantly. There was a third Lieutenant, one speckled bear named Saburo Salpicado, who was not expected for this meeting since he worked the midnight shift.

To finish off the meeting, and standing instead of sitting at the opposite end of the table, were Sergeants Higgins and McHorn. It wasn't common practice for Sergeants to be present for meetings, with two for each of the three shifts, then the two detectives for each shift holding the same rank, it would have made the already small room even more cramped. Still Adrian invited Rhino and Hippo because, just like Snarlov, the two knew the Bull and he in return trusted their opinions completely. This in the beginning cause hushed rumors of favoritism; however both Sergeants had proven track records of success so eventually the talk died.

 **"** Let's get started then," began Adrian, leaning forward in his chair resting his elbows on the table, "the death of Officer Moyer changes things drastically. Furthermore, the increase in assaults throughout the city on uniformed officers has drastically risen. Finally the information brought to me by Officer Weaselton has been confirmed by other confidential informants over the last several days."

"Polls have suggested that the public is becoming more and more panicked by the situation, and want assurances that the Z.P.D. and City Hall are increasing security." Worton said. The Bison picked up a briefcase to his right and produced several papers and placed them on the table. "These are simply some of the letters we have received from citizens. The Mayor is concerned that this issue won't be handled by the next election."

 _"Always an angle..."_ The Bull thought to himself. Still he nodded and turned towards Pridmont.

"P.R. is doing everything in its power to smooth over the situation, but we are seeing a noticeable decrease in mammals applying to the Academy." The feline said. She then turned to the Bison with a coy smile, "It would benefit Zootopia overall if the Mayor would be willing to give a joint press conference."

The Bison shifted under the strong gaze of the feline. "The Mayor will...consider doing so once he is convinced that the Z.P.D. has the...situation under control."

Adrian snorted, "In other words he wants to make sure it doesn't get worse before he puts his name on it." Worton wouldn't meet the Bull's gaze and the Cape Buffalo rolled his eyes. _"Typical Politicians..."_ The Bull turned to his left. "What's the status on our investigation?"

Olen sat forward, resting his hooves on the table. "Is going," started the Caribou in a heavy northern accent, "Zirafa end Blackpaw are vorking leads."

"They've been on the case since Officer Wilde was shot, shouldn't we consider a pair of fresh eyes?" asked Howlington. The question was directed at the Caribou.

There was an unwritten rule that investigations for detectives be decided by the most experienced Lieutenant. It was a tradition that was supposed to help lighten some of burden off of the Chief. In practice it just meant that when Adrian wanted a specific detective on a case, Olen would moan and complain non-stop.

The Caribou scoffed and waved off the Wolf. "Schenok, you are still too young to know these things. This is why old Boris makes decision."

Adrian could see the Wolf bite down a reply, but the hackles of the lupine still rose slightly. "Lieutenant, we have talked about this before..." The Bull spoke with a glare aimed at the longest serving officer.

The reindeer threw up his hooves in exacerbation, before slouching back in his chair. "I am _so sorry_ Howlton."

The Wolf simply snorted and turned forward again.

The Cape Buffalo pinched between his eyes. Olen had been a thorn in his side since day one of becoming Chief, but the deer knew how to not step over the line. That and his position as Vice President of the Z.P.D. Union left Adrian in a difficult position. " _If only I could fire the smug bastard..."_ He let out a sigh and focused back onto the deer. "What have they found so far?"

Olen cleared his throat, "The investigation has led them to Tundra Town. Ve are keeping separate from Precinct Six and running independently." The Caribou turned towards the red Wolf, "How is Papa doing?"

Howlington sneered before clearing his throat and fixing his tie, "My uncle is doing just fine Lieutenant. I'll let him know you asked."

The Deer opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off with a heavy hoof from Adrian. "Stop that both of you. Compare sizes later." The Bull stated angrily. He heard a snicker from the right of him and could stop from rolling his eyes. _"Of course she would find this amusing..."_ The Cape Buffalo turned back on his Assistant Chief with a strained smile.

Pridmont covered her muzzle and coughed, but couldn't hide her mirth completely. Finally she settled down enough to speak. "It may be the best decision to keep our investigations independent."

Adrian's brow rose in surprise. Normally Pridmont was preaching inter-Precinct investigations and cooperation in order to show a united department, for her to suggest otherwise piqued the Bull's interest, "Why shouldn't we investigate jointly?"

"Because Polar Bears yap to-"

"Lieutenant!" Several voices shouted. Adrian wasn't surprised to see his own outcry joined by Howlington and Pridmont, but the step forward by McHorn didn't go unnoticed by the Chief either.

The Old Caribou huffed, before slumping backing into his chair, arms folded in protest. Thankfully this was also a sign that he would remain quiet for awhile.

The Cape Buffalo turned back towards the feline and waved her to continue.

She shifted in her seat before continuing. "Sadly the Lieutenant is not too far from my point..." The grunt from the eldest officer was ignored by all. "...but not because of Polar Bears specifically, but who employs them..."

"Mr. Big." Filled in the Bull with disdain. The only crime family still in Zootopia and a constant bother to Precinct Six. It wasn't uncommon for officers to be turned into informants by the Mob Boss, but even Adrian had to admit that the Shrew mastermind seemed to have slowed down in recent years.

Pridmont nodded. "While it seems on the surface that Mister Big has turned his ways, this could have been a smoke screen to mask an armament build up. We could be looking at the Rayas family all over again." The atmosphere in the room changed with those last words. All but Howlington had been an officer during that time, and the chaos from the Rainforest District spread throughout the entire city. Nowhere felt safe, and armed officer were stationed out front of City Hall for several years afterwards.

The Chief sighed and rubbed his forehead. It didn't make sense to the Bull why the Mafia Boss would want to bring firearms back into the city after so long. _"Maybe we're looking at this incorrectly..."_ Adrian frowned at the thought. It was possible that all of this was a smokescreen, but for what?

His thoughts were interrupted by Howlington clearing his throat. "There is something that I know Precinct Six is doing that they haven't been successful in." The Bull nodded for the Wolf to continue, who smiled in return. "Deputy Chief Howlington has been trying to infiltrate a business, that supposedly their information points to being a...middle mammal of sorts." The Red lupine stood up, and grabbed a clicker sitting on the computer tower for the screen.

The Bull motioned for the Sergeants to close the blinds, as the Wolf set up his information. Finally the Lieutenant was ready to begin.

"This is Kedi Puankulak," a picture of a well dressed, muscular Bobcat from a distance appeared on the screen. The traditional facial tufts still prominent, with fur coloring of tan and black mixed together. The feline was talking on the phone and walking. "He's a former muscle for hire turned club owner." A picture of a club called the Cat's Meow appeared. The lettering was in a bright gold lighting with two green cat eyes were present in the 'e' and 'o' of 'Meow'. The club had a red velvet rope in front of its door and two large indistinguishable mammals standing on each end. "This is his club. Now somehow Kedi went from small player to big timer in less than a year. He's not alone either."

Two smaller mug shots joined the screen with the Bobcat. One of a brown Boar, and the other of a grey scaled Pangolin. "Meet Ivan Svinya and Ikan Skaal, also former small time muscle that have teamed up with Kedi. There are no known connections before the trio came together. What's interesting is that Skaal used to work only in the Rainforest, Svinya in the Canal District, and Kedi between the Meadowlands and Tundra Town. So it's not like their paths would have crossed naturally. Finally, we have this little guy."

Another picture appeared, but this one much more professional. It showed a smiling Pika in a simple grey business suit, wearing a pair of small wire frame glasses. "This is Herbert Himils of Himils Accounting. It's a one mammal shop that traditionally deals with small businesses, but recently had dropped all of his former clients for working only with Kedi. This leads Precinct Six to believe he has been coerced or threatened into helping. The problem is that Himils always has one of Kedi's goons around him, and the only time he's free of them seems to be in the club."

Howlington switched off both screens and leaned on the back of his chair. "So far three different attempts have been made to place an undercover officer in the club, and all three attempts have failed. I don't doubt that the Deputy Chief won't stop his attempts, but something is wrong with these missions."

Adrian frowned, "How so?"

The Wolf clicked his tongue and leaned in further. "The Deputy Chief thinks that Kedi has an informant inside the Precinct. He can't be certain, but the last undercover officer didn't even make it into the club before being...apprehended...by several mammals. Thankfully units were able to respond accordingly, but even still."

Olen huffed from his crossed arm position. "Told you...Polar Bears..." The chorus of groans that followed the Caribou's statement did nothing to persuade the Lieutenant from his point.

"So what your saying is," started the Cape Buffalo before the deer could get started, "is that an outsider needs to be put in there."

"Not just an outsider, but an officer who knows how to walk the walk, so to speak," responded Howlington.

"An officer who can be trusted to act on his or her own depending on the circumstances. Who won't crack under pressure and turn against the department either. Someone who holds the badge above their own safety." Added Pridmont

Adrian sighed, "I hate to admit it, but I truly wish Wilde was fit for duty. He easily fits the need."

"I'm afraid I have to disagree with you Sir," started Pridmont, "Officer Wilde has had too much media exposure. Not just from his injury, but from his partnership with Hopps. No I'm sorry to say that I don't think even his tongue could talk into that club."

"Excuse me Sir's and Ma'am," started Higgins, with all eyes turning on the large mammal, "I may have a solution to our problem."

Adrian already had a feeling on where the Hippo was about to suggest. "I'm not going to like this idea, am I?" He asked more rhetorically than seriously.

Higgins grimaced, "I don't believe so, Sir."


	27. Changing the Game

**Hello Readers,**

 **Here's another installment of A Weasel's Watch. Be on the lookout for another extra chapter this week. Criticism always welcome and Enjoy!**

- **CG**

* * *

Reggie held the door open as Hopps slowly hobbled past as they entered the hallway leading to the main area of Precinct One from the Motor pool. After the lapine past, the young officer walked close by. It was the Weasel's first time driving the cruiser. This should have been a momentous occasion for the rookie cop, to finally be trusted enough to drive the hulking machine that is the small mammal cruiser. Instead it was out of necessity rather than earning the privilege.

"You don't have to stand so close Weaselton," grumbled the limping Rabbit, "I'm not going to fall over anytime soon."

Reggie rolled his eyes. "You didn't let me drive you to the hospital, and the paramedics said you at least sprained your ankle. The least I can do is making sure you don't collapse." This earned the young officer shove from the grey doe, who mumbled what sounded like to Reggie as something about "annoying Weasels." The young officer decided to stay not respond to the Rabbit, but didn't move away as Hopps hobbled along.

She had been injured on their last call about a purse snatcher in Savannah Central. Reggie was amused to find out that it was the same Weasel who he had captured several months ago. Out on parole for "good behavior", the felon thought he could commit the same crime again in the same area. Thankfully he had only gone one day and all the possessions had been regained and dropped off to their rightful owners. What wasn't good was in the subsequent chase Hopps lost her traction on a turn and bent her right ankle awkwardly. While the lapine claimed to be fine, the glaring limp and inability to stand on it for long suggested otherwise. This also meant that Reggie's Rabbit partner was in a foul mood.

Sadly this hadn't been a new development. It had been two days since the "End of Watch" call for Officer Moyer, and was only another three till the officer's funeral. After the blowout with Snarlov, the doe didn't openly state her disagreement with how things were being handled. It was only obvious to the mustela when out on the beat with her. Hopps was so tuned in to the radio that she had responded to calls that weren't even in their area. What didn't help is that the Z.P.D. started receiving false gunfire calls as Reggie feared. There were three this day alone, and all of them were duds. The Weasel wouldn't tell the lapine, but he had a sneaking suspicion that there were about to be many more burglary cases for them soon. It's these false alarms that seemed to push the doe to the extreme in trying to catch the purse snatcher, and eventually her injury.

The only good that had happened to Reggie during the last two days were his conversations with Sheri. Their game had continued and the Weasel had learned that her favorite movie was Stardust, whatever that was, and that she apparently loved to read trashy novels. What the Raccoon had actually said was fantasy novels, but the officer couldn't help but tease her. A goofy grin came over Reggie's face as he thought of end of their conversation today.

 _"Is that all Raccoons do all day then? Read trashy books and watch 'Stardust' all day?" Reggie asked lightheartedly, leaning forward on the table that separated them._

 _Sheri scoffed and daintily placed a paw on the collar of her shirt. "We hardworking Raccoons do much more than simply read amazing books and watch amazing movies." The barista leaned forward, elbows on the table and paws clasped together, resting her chin upon her paws. "I'll let you guess."_

 _"Hmmm," drew out the mustela, rubbing a paw from his throat to the tip of his muzzle in mock thought. "Is it….," his eyes locking onto the Raccoon's "causing trouble?"_

 _The Raccoon snorted. "No!" replied Sheri with a roll of her eyes, trying to contain her mirth._

 _"Well then," Reggie started, leaning back into his seat and grabbing his now empty cup, "it must be annoying Weasel's named Reggie."_

 _The barista couldn't contain it any longer and burst out laughing._

"Hey!" Hopps exclaimed as Reggie accidently bumped into her.

The Weasel gave a start out of his daydream, "Sorry Hopps, lost in thought."

The lapine stopped and eyed the rookie cop suspiciously.

Amethyst eyes staring unblinkingly at the mustela, Reggie always felt unnerved when the Rabbit did this. He had never seen a Rabbit with those color eyes before, and that may have been a good thing. The Weasel feared the idea of a whole family of purple eyed, soul-staring Rabbits walking towards him in meticulous fashion. He shuddered internally.

Ears starting to sink slightly, they snapped back up high with a wide eyed expression from the grey doe. She cocked her hip to the left and folder her arms, and then a sly look came onto the senior officer's face. "So who's the lucky individual that has captured your attention Weaselton?"

The Weasel stiffened. "What are you talking about Hopps? No one's captured my attention."

The Rabbit didn't seem impressed. "I know that look Reggie," Hopps said, eliminating the little distance between the two mammals as her ears almost hit the mustela in the muzzle. Poking his chest, she continued, "I know that look because I used to get the same look on my face when I would think of me and Nick's conversations. So when I'm asking who has your attention, I know what I'm talking about."

The Weasel scoffed and stepped back. "There's no one Hopps. I have no interest in dating." The conversation was starting to annoy him. They never talked about Hopps and Wilde's relationship outside of work, almost like an unspoken agreement to keep the affairs of the heart out of their partnership. She would tell the mustela how the Fox was doing, but never what they did in private. Reggie started to walk towards the double doors that separated them from the rest of the building when a small paw grabbed his sleeve.

"Reggie, wait! Don't deny it like I did. It'll only hurt more over time. I know you know this. Don't let it be like Crystal."

The young officer had been doing his best to keep his cool during these trying times. He always reminded himself that when he lost his temper bad things happened, and a mad Weasel running through the streets of Zootopia. Still there was only so much that one mammal can take before something has to give. Just as much as the day had frustrated his partner, so had it frustrated the young officer. He was reaching his breaking point, and needed time to cool down. Sadly the mention of the long dead Ferret simply pushed him over the edge.

He yanked his arm forward, spinning on the spot to face the Rabbit. The paw on his now freed arm cut through the air between the two, only managing to miss the doe's ears as they collapsed onto the back of her head. A snarl on his lips, and his eyes wide in a mixture of shock and anger, Reggie lashed out. "Don't you dare use that against me!" Reggie spat, "I told you that in confidence, not so that I could become your whipping boy!" The fur on the Weasel's tail was standing on end as he closed the gap between them. The Rabbit officer cringed as the younger officer moved.

"I don't care what you think you know of me. I don't care what you think is the best for me. All I do know is that if you ever…" Reggie stepped forward looking directly down at Hopps. He can feel the corners of his muzzle trying to turn upwards as his eyes stayed wide. He pointed a claw at the surprised lapine. "…ever mention that name again…well Rabbit me and you are going to have more than words…" The young officer then turned once more, feeling his tail slightly clip the front of her uniform as the Rabbit seemed to move out of the way. With a paw on the swinging doors that separated him from the rest of his fellow officers, Hopps voice stopped Reggie.

"Reggie wait…I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that to you. Your right, I should stay out of your life, and I promise to not say Cr-…that name again to you... So please forgive me?"

The Weasel closed his eyes. Reggie knew he was close to losing all the progress that he had made in the past three months. He inhaled deeply through his nose. The enclosed hallway permeated with the smells of different officers, still the instincts of the Weasel pinpointed the smell of old prey. Letting the smell of the Rabbit tell what she was feeling, Reggie could smell sadness and fear. He could smell the sweat from the day and the remnants of adrenaline from the chase earlier. He could smell the salad she ate and the vinaigrette dressing she had used. He could even smell the remnants of her body wash, a violet concoction that itched his nose. Under all of that though, the Weasel could smell something that he knew was dangerous. Reggie could smell the faintest traces of fox on her. Not simply any Fox, but one Nicholas Wilde. The Fox who the Weasel could never forgive for what he did to his family. The one who Hopps had admitted to being in love with, and who Reggie had foolishly told the most difficult story of his life. The Fox who now more than likely knew the story, and would use it to torture the mustela once he returned.

Reggie heard a sniffle from behind him, and the shuffling of hind paws forward. "Reggie I-"was all that the Weasel heard, as he pushed opened the swinging door and didn't look back.

* * *

Reggie hurried to the front desk. He knew he would have to talk to Hopps about what just happened, but he needed time. She didn't deserve his reprisal, and deep down the Weasel knew she meant well. That did not make it easier to stop being mad, and instead it made it worse for the young officer.

Reggie started rubbing his eyes and gritting his teeth, slowly pushing down his temper. With his eyes closed, he bumped into something warm and clothed. Opening his eyes, the Weasel wasn't surprised to see he had accidently walked into another mammal's leg. What did surprise him was that he didn't recognize the mammal, not even in passing.

The mammal in question was wearing a charcoal grey suit that looked like it had seen better days. The hooves of the mammal showed a pure white fur that disappeared underneath the suit. Looking up, mammal almost seemed to have the face of a horse, with large rounded ears pointed down at the Weasel. The snout of the mammal was black at the nose and ran up the bridge till stopping in between the eyes. The sides of the snout were a mixture of white and tan, but both in the black and tan the mustela could see patches of grey. There were wrinkles in the corners of the eyes that also showed age. A broad smile was present on the face of the mammal.

"Well this is exactly who we were looking for, isn't it Blackpaw?" The mammal that Reggie realized was an Okapi said.

Another mammal, a young mountain lion dressed in all black, appeared next to the Okapi. The lion light brown and white underneath his muzzle and around his eyes contrasted well with the suit being worn by the feline. The Big Cat's ears were slightly tilted back and a half lidded smirk present on the lion's face. "You are correct Zirafa." The feline outstretched a paw towards the confused mustela. "Vernon Blackpaw and my esteemed colleague John Zirafa."

Reggie accepted the extended paw which easily covered his own. "Please to meet you two. Detectives correct?"

Zirafa chuckled and shook his head, "Not for long with you on the case!"

"Officer Weaselton," Blackpaw started, letting go of Reggie's paw, "me and my partner need to ask you a few questions. Clear some facts up if you will, and we were hoping you would be able to help out with that."

The young officer shrugged "Sure whatever you need, do you want to do it here?"

"Oh no, we have an interview room all set up for you." Blackpaw stated with ease.

"Well alright. Let me drop off the cruiser keys to Clawhauser and I'll meet you there." Reggie replied. Something was gnawing at the back of the Weasel's mind about the two detectives, but he couldn't figure out what.

"Hey, why don't we walk with you then?" Zirafa stated, clapping his hooves together, "I haven't been able to catch up with old Claws in a while now!"

The mustela became even more unnerved by the idea of the two staying with him for this short walk, but did his best to hide his distrust. "Alright then, let's go," the Weasel said before continuing his journey. Thankfully the bump and startling from the two detectives did enough to lower Reggie's temper that he was able to push down the last of it and be even keeled by the time they reached the Cheetah's desk. As young officer approached, he made sure to watch Clawhauser's expression about the two behind him. "Hey Clawhauser, I got some keys for you!" Reggie shouted jingling the keys as the entourage approached the front desk.

The spotted feline's eyes immediately fell on the mustela, before darting to the two detectives' bookending Reggie. The concern that flashed behind the Cat's eyes and the forced smile on the desk officer's muzzle was enough to tell the Weasel that he was not among friends.

"Oh…hello detectives Zirafa…Blackpaw…what can I do for you today?" Clawhauser said hesitantly. The smile was still there, but that and the cheerful tone were being faked by the rotund feline.

"Just joining our friend Officer Weaselton on a walk to drop off a pair of keys, then we'll be out of your fur," responded Detective Zirafa.

 _"So much for catching up…"_ Reggie lamented as it was becoming more and more apparent that whether he wanted to help or not, the mustela was coming with them. He reached up and handed the keys off to the outstretched paw of Clawhauser. Their eyes met for a brief second, but the message the Cheetah was trying to send to the Weasel was easily readable.

 _Be careful._

Blackpaw led Reggie, with Zirafa trailing behind, to the right of the building to a set of elevators that the Weasel had never had a reason to use. They were tall enough for even a giraffe to get into without too much trouble, and the plain steel doors seemed to be thick. Eventually the doors opened to an impressively large elevator that looked closer to a freight elevator than meant for mammals. All three officers entered the elevator, but instead of heading up to the offices on the next floor, Blackpaw tapped the button for the lower level. The doors slid closed, and the only sound was the hum of the elevator's machinery as they descended.

Reggie kept his gaze forward. If this was some hazing thing, then the Weasel knew he needed to be mentally prepared and couldn't let his focus slip. If this was something else than the young officer needed to show no weakness and try to only show a pillar of strength.

"Quiet aren't you Weaselton?" probed Zirafa.

The Weasel smiled, but didn't look at the Okapi. "Sometimes," is all he responded. Silence once again reigned in the elevator. Mercifully the doors opened, and Reggie was greeted with sight of the level they were on. It wasn't what he was expecting.

They were on the holding cell level. Individual barred cells that allowed for no privacy, but separated those being held so as not to allow any violence against fellow incarcerates. Blackpaw once again started forward, and Reggie followed. They past cell upon cell filled with different mammals of all different sizes. The mustela recognized some of the old timers that were always in and out for some crime or another, but eventually Reggie passed a familiar looking Weasel. It was the young purse snatcher from before. The two officers had dropped the criminal off before heading back on patrol.

As they group passed the arrested Weasel's cell, the young mammal shot forward slamming into the bars of the cell door. "Traitor!" spat the criminal at the young officer, "what kind of Weasel would become a cop? You'll just turn dirty in the end!"

The young felon continued to shout obscenities at the young officer, with more mammals joining as he passed, but Reggie continued to look forward. He focused on the sway of Blackpaw's tail and never looked away. Whatever their reason for being in the holding cells, the Weasel hadn't discovered, however when they reached a door that had glass next to it became clearer. Reggie hadn't been in an interrogation room at the Precinct yet. All of the times he had to help question a victim or suspect had been on the street or at their homes, never in an official capacity. With that being said the Weasel had seen enough of them to know what to expect.

"Just so we have privacy," stated Blackpaw casually, seemingly to simply try and give an excuse.

Reggie wasn't buying it.

In the room sat a simple metal table with two chairs on opposite ends. The walls were bare with no paint, only showing concrete for coloring. In the right corner the mustela noticed a camera and a red light showing that it was recording. _"Small miracles…"_ thought the young officer as he went to the farthest side to sit. He heard the door close behind him. Once ascended his chair to stand and lean against the table, he saw that of course the glass was only one way. When he did stare into the glass, Blackpaw leaning at an angle in his chair, he saw in the reflection Zirafa head over to the camera and yank something out. The red light that was reflected back slowly disappeared. _"…So much for that…"_ All of Reggie's old instincts had been telling him that something was wrong, but now confined in a room with two larger mammals who were taking precautions to not have this conversation monitored made the young officer feel trapped. A faint smile started to work its way on Reggie's muzzle. He would show them why it was never smart to trap a Weasel.

"Well now that we're here," the Okapi started as he sat down in the open chair next to his partner, "why don't we ge-"

"Let's cut the small talk out already," snapped Reggie, folding his arms defensively, "I'm tired and not good at it, so just ask your questions so I can get out of here."

Zirafa frowned, "That's no way to talk to a superior."

"I'm pretty sure that unplugging the camera is no way to start an interrogation," Reggie shot back, staring unblinkingly at the herbivore, "or are we going to continue to pretend this is a fun get together." The Okapi officer's frown deepened, but Reggie noticed that Blackpaws smirk never left his muzzle. "So let's drop the formalities and why don't you ask your questions?"

A brow on the mountain lion rose slightly, but then the detective sat forward paws clasped together. "Ok Officer, if that's how you want to handle it. What is your connection with Jacob Meocam?"

"I arrested him for the attempted murder of Officer Nicholas Wilde." Reggie replied evenly, trying not to let any emotion seep through his answers.

"Is that all?" prodded the Big Cat.

"Yes. That is all."

"So you didn't hire him in order to try and murder Officer Wilde?"

The Weasel reeled from the accusation and shook his head in confusion, "What?"

"You, as you rookie cop on the force who is known to have a grudge against one Nicholas Wilde and connection to the seedier parts of Zootopia, did or did not hire Jacob Meocam to try and kill Officer Wilde."

"No."

"No you did or no you didn't?"

"No, I did not hire Jacob Meocam or any other mammal to try and kill anyone."

"So what you're saying is," Blackpaw leaning back, but paws still clasped together, "a rookie cop was able to put the clues together in order to somehow figure out that not only was Jacob Meocam 'Gecko', but also the one who tried to kill Officer Wilde."

"Yes, that's pretty much it."

"Pretty much?" pressed the feline with a raise brow.

Reggie cursed himself internally for his wording. Whatever he thought was going to happen, being questioned for trying to kill Wilde was not one of those things. "I received a tip that suggested Jacob Meocam was the mammal of interest. Officer's Wilde and Hopps approached me earlier in the week in order to reach out and find 'Gecko', but I had no idea it was Meocam until I dug into his arrest records."

"So that's it, just an anonymous do-gooder who left vital information with a rookie cop and hoped for the best?"

"Actually they called in first, and then came by in person," Reggie started, closing his eyes and rolling his head on his shoulders, "you two were just too blind to see the clue that came through the door."

A heavy slam rattled the table, "That's enough out of you _Officer_!" Zirafa snapped.

Reggie had been expecting a physical reaction from one of them so his eyes didn't shoot open in surprise. Instead he righted his head and slowly opened his eyes in the direction of the Okapi. Everything was starting to come together now. The interrogation room, the walk through the holding cells, even separating him from the other officers and staying close to the Weasel, it was an attempt to rattle the young mammal into making a mistake. Of somehow losing his cool and revealing some damning information, but instead their odd behavior had given Reggie enough warning to mentally prepare. He would not make this easy for them.

"Because I know you are about to ask these questions, I'm going to get them off your mental checklist," started the Weasel, gaze slowly moving between the two detectives. The low blow of accusation of him hiring a hitmammal threw him off balance in the beginning, but now he was going to make them pay for it. "No I did not give Jacob Meocam, also known as 'Gecko', his firearm. Nor did I direct or know that Meocam was going to rob any of the places that he did. No I did not go to Sahara Square Regional Hospital in order to, as I'm assuming you're going to put it, quote unquote 'finish the job.' It has already been confirmed by Internal Affairs that I do not have to reveal my source since it was officially known by the Z.P.D. before they reached out to me. Yes I do have a personal dislike of one Officer Nicholas Wilde, but that has never at any point in time compromised my ability to work at Precinct One or the Zootopia Police Department overall. Yes my aunt and uncle are both felons in their own right. No I have never taken a bribe for them or have gotten them out of any form of legal trouble with my position. In fact I think I would love to arrest my uncle simply to get a picture of me doing so framed on my wall. My father was a known enforcer and dangerous mammal, but as I have passed the Academy, saved several of my fellow officers and have helped take down some of the scummiest of the scum of this city, I'm pretty sure I've proven that I am not like him. Anything I miss?"

The Weasel didn't take a breath during his tirade, so he was breathing deeper than normal catching. To add to the effect, the mustela clasped his paws and laid them on the table. The surprised looks on the two detectives' faces, with Blackpaw's jaw actually hanging open, led the young mustela to smirk and raise his own eyebrow questioningly.

The Big Cat was the first to recover, as he cleared his throat and smoothed out the front of his jacket. Zirafa was not too far behind. "There is one question I do have for you Officer and gave an expectant look. Weaselton," started Blackpaw, a smug look returning to the detective, "What does R.J. stand for?"

Reggie outwardly showed no reaction to the question, but inside he was seething. Only one other mammal knew what RJ stood for, and if the Weasel ever found Big Tommy there would be one less. _"One day Tommy…I'll find you…"_ The young officer sniffed and folded his arms. "I don't see how that's relevant to Meocam?" Reggie deflected.

The mountain Lion shrugged noncommittally at the young officer. "Just curious that's all. Your middle initial is C, not J, so I wondered if there was a story behind it."

The Weasel could almost **_feel_** like there was more to the question than met the eye. A quick glance over at the quiet Okapi showed that even the more senior officer had no idea where his partner was going with this. "No story behind it. Just a nickname I was given when I was part of the Rainforest Lords, which I fully admitted to being a part of when I applied for the Academy." Reggie added that last part hastily, trying to cut off any more questions about that part of his past."

"So…what you're saying is that you never killed any mammal while involved with the notorious R.F.L.?"

"No I never killed any mammal. I admitted to assault and battery in several different cases, but all of those were either against members of the R.F.L. or other gangs. Also I was granted immunity on those crimes because of the information I gave Precinct Seven, but I have a feeling you already know this." The Weasel thought that the mountain Lion had simply been fishing with his accusations, but now he wasn't as confident.

Blackpaw sighed and shook his head with an amazed look. "I'm just surprised to hear that you, son of the famous 'Mad Rick' and former lieutenant in the R.F.L. never killed a single mammal."

"It's the truth." Responded Reggie confidently.

The feline looked down, then back up with an evil grin, "Not even indirectly causing the death of another mammal?"

The blow hurt the mustela. The argument with Hopps had brought up all the "what if's" that used to consciously plague Reggie. _"What if she never met me? What if I kept walking that first day? Or simply had her thrown out the second time? What if I told her I would kill her if she would return? Would she have run away and not have had to die? What if I had killed Big Tommy that night? Would she still even want to be around a murderer?"_ These thoughts circled the mustela's mind continuously after the first year of her death. As time passed, so did how long Reggie thought about these haunting questions. Now though, sitting in an interrogation room just like seven years ago, with two detectives that didn't believe his innocence, the doubts started to seep in.

"I…I'm sure…" Reggie responded hesitantly. His first sign of weakness, and he could already see both detectives lean forward. One may have been prey, but both were going in for the kill.

"What do you mean you're sure?" started Zirafa, "You either did or did not cause a death indirectly."

"I didn't." the Weasel tried to answer with more confidence, but he could see neither detective being persuaded.

"So…nowhere in your file, in all the crimes that you admit to committing and all the mammals that you have harmed, is there going to be an indirect link?" Blackpaw pressed, leaning forward with elbows on the table.

The wording of the question gave the mustela his out. Crystal wasn't killed because of any crime he committed, but crimes he didn't commit. Reggie gathered up all his remaining courage and looked the feline directly in his unblinking eyes, "No, and I know this as a fact." He then shifted his gaze slowly to the Okapi. "Are there any more questions you have for me detectives?" The young officer asked deliberately.

"That's all I need to see." A voice that sounded like it came from a microphone spoke. At this both Zirafa and Blackpaw stood up. Blackpaw went to open the door and Zirafa leaned his back against the one-way mirror. The Okapi's gaze never left the Weasel. The door opened effortlessly, and in walked Chief Bogo.

The young officer stood at attention instinctively.

The Chief waved for him to relax, and the mustela did so "At ease Weaselton." The Cape Buffalo had in his hoof a red folder that looked to have words written on it that Reggie couldn't make out right away. The Bull sat in Blackpaws now abandoned seat across from the Weasel. "I do apologize for the cloak and dagger routine, but I needed to be sure."

Reggie's brow rose in confusion, "Sure of what sir?"

"That you can handle the stress of your next assignment." The Chief responded bluntly. He laid the folder down on the table and pushed it towards the young officer.

The word on the cover read "Classified" and the Weasel was even more confused. "What exactly is my next assignment sir?"

Chief Bogo sighed heavily, and for a moment Reggie saw a flash of concern in the Bull's eyes. "Undercover."


	28. Familial Worry

**Hello Readers,**

 **Here's that extra chapter. Hope you enjoy! Criticism always welcome.**

 **-CG**

* * *

Judy was not pleased with her Fox at the moment. Her hind paw tapped rhythmically on the sterile tile of the hospital floor. Arms folded across her lime green puffy jacket, and ears folded against the back of her head, all she could do was shoot Nick dirty looks.

"Fluff you know I didn't do this on purpose right?" Nick asked with a nervous glance. His purple winter jacket and white button down opened revealing the gauzes on his cream colored chest as he lay on an examination table. The red tod had fallen while ice skating trying to perform a flip jump, only for him to fall flat on his face. While it was funny at the moment, the dots of red staining his shirt was enough for them to stop and head over to Tundra Town Regional Hospital.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. Logically yes, she knew that the vulpine was simply being his charming self and doing his best to impress her. The Rabbit was simply having trouble with it on an emotional level. This was their first "official" date, and Nick had decided to bring Judy to Tundra Town. First they were to start off enjoy a walk in the park warming up with some hot beverages, and then some ice skating, a romantic early dinner at some Purisian restaurant that Judy couldn't even pronounce the name of and ending with heading back to her place to watch whichever romantic comedy caught her eye. The Rabbit had been looking forward to this day the entire week. With Nick still not allowed back in the Z.P.D. until he completes his physical training, and Judy temporarily sidelined by a sprain, all the Rabbit had to do was sit around with Clawhauser and hope that another "Officer Down" call didn't come over the radio.

The stress was starting to affect everyone in Precinct One. There was less laugher in the building and more street on the beat. Every call could be an officer's last, and every chase could lead to a trap. The false reports of gunfire continued to come in, and with them a rise in burglaries. Wolford and Fangmeyer had been called back from the Meadowlands after the search for the suspect in Moyer's death led to a dead end. Both the Wolf and Tiger looked completely defeated when they first arrived back, with ears folded down and tails limp. Wolfowitz and Jackson had started arguing. Not simply their known banter, but actual arguments over petty things. The white Wolf always seemed to be on the hunt for someone or something, while the male Tiger looked like he hadn't slept in days. There was talk about the Chief forcing both to take mental health days. Judy and Snarlov hadn't made eye contact since their fight, and the doe had no interest in mending that bridge either.

To add to the misery, another officer was shot and killed, a camel that worked the midnight shift at Precinct Two. Two other officers from the Canal District were shot and wounded critically, but both are expecting to make recoveries. Countless more legitimate gunfire calls Officers throughout the city responded too, and countless more minor injuries to those officers as well. This was only compounded by Officers pulling out their weapons on unarmed civilians. In Precinct One, Officer Woolsten of the Evening Shift pulled his Tranq pistol on two unarmed civilians who were behind him as he exited his cruiser. The Ram had been put on modified duty and Internal Affairs was looking into the incident.

To compound it all was losing Reggie as a partner to begin the week. She did feel ashamed with how she seemed to pry into his personal life, and hoped to make it up to the Weasel when he returned from dropping off the keys. He never returned though, and Chief Bogo had informed her that he had asked for a transfer to the midnight shift. Judy didn't think that what she said would made the young officer want to get away from her, but still the lapine wanted an explanation. She tried to gain more information from the Chief, but he wouldn't give any. Judy had asked Clawhauser, hoping he would know, but the Cheetah was surprisingly dry of knowledge on Weaselton. The Rabbit even came in several hours early one day to try and catch Reggie coming back from his shift, but all officers she asked had no idea who she was talking about. It was feeling more and more like a conspiracy, and she was worrying that officers were lying to her about the mustela officer. Why would they though?

"Earth to Carrots! Hello? Are you there?" Nick asked with wave of his paw and slight concern in his voice.

"Huh?" Judy responded, lost in her thoughts and forgetting where she was, "oh…yeah I'm ok Nick." She tried to smile, but it even felt faked.

"Uh huh…and your ears are down because of the noise level?" The vulpine responded with a raise brow.

The Rabbit cursed her long appendages. She knew there was no point in trying to wiggle out of the question now. "It…it's nothing Nick…just thinking of everything going on."

"Darling, what did we promise each other today?"

Judy's gaze fell to the floor and paws wrung behind her back, "To not think about all the craziness that's happening."

"And what are you doing?"

This time a hind paw twisted to join in her slight shame, "…thinking about all the craziness…"

"That's right. Now I'm willing to forgive you, but only if you give me a kiss."

The grey doe looked up to see the red tod send her a quick wink and point at his cheek. She couldn't help but laugh at his antics. She had no right to be mad at him. Nick was doing everything in his power to make her happy, and what was she doing? Moping because her still injured partner may have reinjured himself? No more. She was going to enjoy today and everything that came with it! Judy reached up and grabbed the open paw of Nick. She rubbed a digit on the top of his paw, allowing the feel of his fur to bring a smile to her face. "You know I love you right?" Judy asked, gaze going to meet the Fox's.

"Do I know that?" Nick pondered in jest, his free paw brought up to scratch his muzzle in mock thought. He looked back with a half lidded smile, "Yes, yes I-"

The privacy curtain surrounding Nick and Judy opened slightly to reveal a white furred Weasel in purple scrubs. The Rabbit hopped lightly away from the Fox. While they may have been out on a date, the two officers were trying to keep their newfound relationship under wraps. Judy wasn't ashamed of Nick, just as much as he wholeheartedly swore the same. Still their celebrity status in the public and lingering unsavory opinions about interspecies couples led them both agreeing it was best for now.

The nurse closed the curtain behind her, before turning to the two with a smile. "Sorry for the delay. We're busier than usual. My name is Mary, and let me see what the problem is…" The nurse walked over to the front of the bed and grabbed an information chart that had been left by another. "Hmm…gunshot wounds…stitches…slight discharge…ok!" The mustela said, putting the chart back and coming to the opposite side of the bed. "Mr…Wilde was it?" Nick nodded, "I'm going to have to check out those wounds of yours and make sure the stitches didn't open up alright?"

"What about a doctor?" Nick asked cautiously, his nose twitched slightly.

Judy frowned. She had never seen her Fox this hesitant around a nurse, well other than Anthony the Anteater. Even still there was obvious concern reflected in his eyes. "Is everything alright Nick?"

The Fox smiled what Judy knew to be his Conmammal smile, "Everything's perfectly fine Hopps."

"Nick…Wilde…" started Mary "and Hopps…as in Judy Hopps?" The nurse looked at the Rabbit with shining eyes.

Judy smiled in embarrassment. "Yep that's me."

"Oh this is so amazing! I never thought I would meet either one of you, let alone both of you!" the Weasel squealed. Her brown eyes sparkled as she clapped and hopped up and down in excitement. The nurse cleared her throat then tried, and failed, to suppress a grin on her muzzle. She turned to the Fox. "Now I understand Mr. Wilde that you may be worried about a nurse looking after you, but I promise you'll receive the best treatment I can possibly give!"

Judy saw out of the corner of her eye the red tod relax. She would have to ask why he was so uptight with the nurse later. The Rabbit moved closer to the bed as the Weasel climbed up to get a better look at Nick's wounds. As the nurse's deftly trained paws worked with practiced precision on Nick's gauzed wounds, checking for what Judy could only assume was broken stitches; the Rabbit studied the nurse closely. There was something about the nurse that seemed oddly familiar to the lapine, but she couldn't pinpoint what. While the mustela's face and paws were white, when she moved the officer saw brown fur underneath her scrubs. It wasn't the coloring of her fur, but her Weasel's face that seemed familiar. Mary frowned in concentration as she looked closely at the lower wound on the Fox, and Judy realized who she resembled.

"Excuse me?" started Judy tentatively, "you don't happen to be a Weaselton do you?"

"And if I am?" asked the nurse not stopping her assessment of the Fox underneath her. The tone in the mustela's voice changed from the courteous, excited tone to one as cold as snow.

"Oh no nothing bad. I just wondered if you were related to a Reginald Weaselton." Judy pressed.

The nurse looked from what she was doing with excitement back in her eyes. She climbed over the wounded Fox who let out a "hey!" in protest. "Oh shush," the Weasel turned to wave at the protesting tod, "your stitches are fine. You just aggravated them. Don't do whatever you were doing again and you'll be ok." She turned back to the Rabbit, only to frown and turn once again on the Fox. "Also change your bandages more than what you're doing right now. I can tell you're not following doctor's orders." Mary finished the statement with a knowing glare at Nick, who simply shrugged nonchalantly.

"If I had more nurses with your bedside manner, I might remember." Nick said snarkily.

The nurse ignored the tod's comment and turned fully to the grey doe. "You work with Reggie right?"

Judy nodded, "Yep, we were partners for a bit."

"That's so exciting! He told me he worked with you guys, but never told me he was your partner!" Once again the Weasel bounced on the bed, jostling Nick in the process.

"Hey, wounded hero here!" The vulpine exclaimed with paws going to his gauzed wounds.

"Oops, sorry!" Mary said apologetically. She scooted off the bed and onto the floor in front of the lapine. She turned quickly back to Nick. "You're fine, and I was serious when I said you should change your gauzes more frequently. If you would like, I can do that."

Nick waved off the nurse's offer. "Thanks anyway, but I'll take care of it tonight."

The Weasel frowned at the vulpine's words, and turned back to Judy. "Make sure he actually changes them," she whispered to the doe.

Judy smiled "I'll make sure he does." She shot a smug look at the Fox, who grinned in return.

"So how is he?" asked Mary, paws clasping together.

The doe tilted her head in confusion. "How's who?"

"Reggie…how is he?" the nurse asked tentatively, rubbing her paws together nervously.

Judy quickly glanced over at Nick, who seemed just as confused as she was. "I'm…not sure. Didn't he tell you that he switched shifts?"

Whatever excitement and mirth that was left in the female mustela fled at the lapine's words. Her tail drooped to the floor, and her expression fell with her clasped paws. "Well no…we haven't heard from him in over a week. I was hoping that maybe you knew…" Mary's words wavered as she finished speaking.

"Ah Weselton will be fine. He's probably just moping that he lost such a great partner like Carrots!" offered Nick. The Fox swung his legs off the side of the bed away the two females and started to button his shirt. "If I know anything about that little Q-Tip, then he's probably back at his place sleeping." Nick scooted off the table and made his way to the two females. Placing a paw gently on Mary's shoulder, he gave a reassuring smile. "Why don't you go swing by his place? I know you Weaselton's are all about family and he would be delighted to see you."

Mary didn't look as convinced as Nick sounded, and even Judy had her doubts, but eventually the nurse nodded and gave a small smile up to the tod. "Thanks Mr. Wilde." She walked over to the dividing curtain and opened it up for the two. "You're free to go, just no rough housing tonight. You two enjoy your date."

Judy blushed and she could see the red tod stiffen at the implication. Was it really that obvious?

"I'm sorry to inform you, that in me…" Nick pointed to himself, and then at Judy, "…and fluff here are not an item."

Mary gave a knowing look to both of them, with her eyes holding longer on the Rabbit, as her nose twitched periodically. The nurse smiled a polite smile and nodded her head. "My apologies," she started in a very unapologetic tone, "I must have been mistaken. Please enjoy the rest of your _individual_ day." She swept a paw towards the still held open curtain.

Judy and Nick walked past the nurse, both giving their thanks. The lapine and mustela's eyes met and the nurse offered the Rabbit officer smirk and raised brow. Judy quickly turned away and focused on walking.

"Well…that was interesting…"Nick said in a low voice.

"Do you think it's that obvious?" asked Judy hesitantly. The last thing she wanted was rumors to be spread about her and Nick. She knew that the Z.P.D. rules about dating focused more on harassment and abuse of power by a senior officer. The Rabbit also knew that, as much as she wanted it to be so, her and Nick were not treated like regular officers by the public. The lapine was willing to face any problem sent her way. She had been overcoming obstacles for most of her life now. The thought of it affecting her Fox though is what made her worry the most. As if on cue, a black paw rested on her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks.

"Fluff…if you don't want to continue today, I understand." Nick said dejectedly.

Judy turned to see him smiling what others would assume was his normal smile, but she knew otherwise. The Rabbit knew that he wanted this just as badly as she did, however the look of concern hidden behind half lidded eyes told her more than his words ever could. _"I have to fix this…"_ She stepped towards the Fox, brushing off the paw from his shoulder. "Oh no you don't!" she said with a scowl, poking him in what she knew to be the non-injured part of his chest. "You aren't getting out of paying for dinner this easily!" She poked him once more before placing her paws on her hips. "Also, the deal was that we are going to watch a movie of _my choosing_ , and I'm not letting you get away!" She tried to hold her scowl, but the look of shock on Nick's face had her fighting a smile. Judy turned on her heels and started to walk away. After taking a few steps, she glanced over her shoulder at the amazed Fox. "Well…are you coming?" she asked coyly. She turned forward once more, but added a flick of her tail as she started once again. The sound of scampering claws told her that the message was received.

* * *

If Nick were to be honest, the last two and a half months had been some of the best and worst times of his entire life. It was the best because the past month Judy had started staying over at his place more often. While his apartment wasn't anything to write about, it was much more spacious than the shoebox that Judy called her apartment. One bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchen/living room area with a view that at night was breathtaking. Normally the Fox wouldn't have been able to afford a place in downtown Savannah Central, but of course since he knew everybody the tod worked out a reasonable price. The nights that Judy spent over were always filled with laughter and stolen kisses. No matter what was happening in the rest of the city, the walls of the apartment seemed immune to the growing discord. They would cook, clean, snuggle on the couch watching movies or television shows on Nick's outdated system. They tell jokes and stories from past experiences, or at night when they were curled up next to each other whisper secrets and wishes that they had not shared with another. It felt amazingly domestic and Nick loved every second of it.

With her being around more often also led to a change in their physical relationship. The innocent kisses from before turned much more passionate now as they both seemed to compete for control during the kiss. The embarrassment from the possibility of seeing one another disrobed seemed to vanish overnight once Judy started showering regularly there. Even those nights of whispers usually held a much more…strenuous activity before or even after. Nick's gaze wandered behind aviators to his Rabbit partner, in many ways, driving the cruiser. The vulpine couldn't take his gaze away from the lapine who was focusing on the road. Her fur was as soft as it looked. The muscles from a lifetime of training to become an officer didn't show outwardly, but when Nick held her close at night with his paws covering her stomach it was impossible to deny her toned form. Every single part of her was perfect to the red tod. Her smile, her cheeks, her eyes, her ears, her twitching nose, her thighs, her…

 _"Focus Slick!"_ Nick's head snapped forward as he tried to push down that line of thinking.

"You alright slick?" asked Judy.

"Never better fluff."

It had become even more important for officers to alert while on patrol. That sadly is what had made this time the worst. Officers stopped being targeted directly after the most desperate individuals were put behind bars. That didn't stop gun violence, but simply allowed for criminals to turn on one another. Shootouts were now becoming common in the poorer neighborhoods, and finding bodies were now attached to an officer's job description. What was worse was that law abiding citizens now felt to carry around protection. The mammals usually had little to no training on how to handle their new found items and injured themselves just as much as their actual targets. Every single citizen was now on edge, fearing the possibility of becoming the next victim. This made officers jobs even harder. Now it wasn't simply criminals, but average citizens who could become a deadly threat. The Fox Officer refocused his gaze on outside of the cruiser. The older buildings of Sahara Square passed by as mammals walked cautiously around one another. He and Judy had run into a dead end for a case they had been working, and in slight desperation the two decided to pay Duke a visit for information. There was a secondary reason that Nick was aware of for Judy. After meeting with Mary on their first date, he couldn't help but notice the Rabbit trying to fish for information on the Weasel officer. He personally hadn't thought anything about it. So what if young Weselton wasn't showing up for work? Not the Fox's problem. The last pawful of days Judy's whole attitude about the situation had changed. There was something that she wasn't telling him, and it was bleeding through her actions. She seemed almost desperate to learn more, and had asked him to possibly use some of his contacts to try to find out information. He had shrugged it off and recommended visiting the older mustela instead.

"Here we are," Judy said as she pulled the cruiser to a stop at a curb. Both officers exited the cruiser, meeting up at the front. Nick stayed slightly behind the steps of the Rabbit officer as they walked towards Duke.

The Weasel was set up with a folding table on the corner with what the Fox knew were bootleg movies. The mustela seemed his restless self, but something was off about con. Nick had seen Duke scared, startled, nervous and angry. One incident all at once! Still the former conmammal couldn't help but become wary of the mammal they were approaching. _"You're thinking too much…it's just Duke!"_ While it's true that the Weasel never struck Nick as the violent type, the current climate told him anyone could be dangerous. Taking the initiative, the vulpine used his longer legs to outpace his partner and called out to the former associate. "Well if it isn't my favorite bootlegger. How you've been Duke?" The red tod was glad that his eyes were hidden behind glasses, because as he called out to the Weasel the mammal jumped. Not hopped or startled, but jumped in the air.

Duke landed and straightened out his dirty white beater and wiped his paws on his black shorts. "What…uh," he cleared his throat, "what's up Wilde."

Nick stopped in his tracks. He held his left paw behind his back and motioned for Judy to stop walking. Something was wrong. The Weasel was too nervous. There wasn't even a snarky remark from the mustela. "What's going on Duke?"

The Weasel smiled a crooked smile and stepped towards the officers. "Nuffin's up Wilde. So's what's ya need?"

Nick glanced down to see Judy step next to him. "We need some information on someone stealing cars from Little Rodentia. Do you know anything about it?" The lapine asked.

Duke glanced down. The Fox could almost see the gears turning in the felon's head. He looked back with a look of satisfaction at the two officers. "I's actually do, but I's need summin' in return."

"Oh, what's that Dukey?" mocked Nick, "a free ride in the cruiser with the lights going off?" The Fox simply was testing to see how the mustela would react.

"Ha ha!" laughed Duke a little too hard, "You's funny Wilde dat's for sure. All I wanna know is…uh…how's Regg?" There was hope in the question, and an almost pleading look in the street mammal's eyes.

Nick's breath caught in his chest, and he heard a small gasp from the doe next to him. He glanced down quickly to see her covering her snout with both paws. Her ears had dropped completely and her eyes were wide. _"Play it cool Wilde…"_ The Fox stepped forward and put on his most winning smile. He shrugged lightly, "Can't say I've seen the little ankle biter around honestly. He's probably cooling his heels somewhere. You remember how crazy you were when you were younger?" Even the vulpine didn't believe the bile coming out of his muzzle, but they needed the information.

The look in Duke's eyes was something the ex-conmammal had never seen in the mammal in front of him. He looked broken, as if a piece of him just died thanks to Nick's words. "Oh…ok…" is all the older mammal said. Duke turned and walked back to his table and gripped the edge hard. The tension in the Weasel's body was obvious.

"Duke?" Judy asked tentatively. She tried to step forward, but Nick stopped her with a quick paw. A silence descended between the trio as the officers watched the almost catatonic Weasel.

"Duke…you ok?" Nick asked hesitantly.

The mustela turned to look at the vulpine, and Nick couldn't stop his ears from lowering. "Am I's ok?" he responded through gritted teeth. There was hatred in the black eyes of the conmammal that was aimed directly at the officers. The Weasel's body was shaking as his grip tightened even more on the table. "AM I'S OK!?" Duke flipped the flimsy table and all the DVDs on top of it scattered to the ground.

As soon as Duke moved, Nick spun in front of Judy and brought her close to his body to protect her from any onslaught. His arms going around her back, and tail around her legs, he crouched down closer to her height to shield her better. "Do you's has any ideas what's I's ben trough?" Duke shouted with a cracking noise followed. The vulpine closed his eyes and waited for the blows to come. "Tree months! Dat's how long it's been since I's seen Reggie, and all use care about is info?" Nick heard the sound of more cracking. When violence never came, Nick looked down at Judy who had the same startled look that he knew he had. He released her, but spun in front of her to stay between the rampaging Weasel and the doe he loved. The scene revealed to him was one of chaos.

Duke was stomping on the DVDs scattered along the ground, digging his heel and breaking case and disc alike. "I's tried goin too's the Zee Pee Dee, but NOOOOOOO!" once again the Weasel started shouting, "de didn't has a record of a Weasel cop. De only has a record of him **_applying_**. Den where was he's for six months!" The angered mustela's voice rising as he turned back on the two officers. "Why's won't da Zee Pee Dee looks for one of dere own and instead make 'em disappear." The felon stalked towards the two stunned officers and stopped a foot away. His anger finally broke as his eyes started to mist. "If…" Duke tried to start, but needed to take a moment to stop his voice from cracking. "If's he's in troubles, dat's ok," the Weasel stepped forward once more, paws stretched out the Fox and Rabbit, "I just wanna know he's ok's. Dat's all."

"Duke," Nick started breathlessly, pushing Judy back as he tried to step back, "we really don't know where Reggie is. I thought he was working another shift. That's all, honestly."

The Weasel didn't lash out this time, but bitterness was back in his eyes. He huffed, "I tought dat coppa's took after deir own." He turned away from the pair, and his shoulders and tail fell. "I's guess I's was wrong…" The pain was obvious in the mustela's voice as he walked away from the two, not even bothering to grab his table.

Nick watched Duke walk away, making sure he was gone before relaxing. He heard a hiccup behind him and turned to face Judy. "Hopps, are you alright?" He asked starting to panic. There didn't seem to be any visible injuries on the Rabbit. She grabbed one of his paws and brought it to her cheek. There were tears trailing down her closed eyes now and Nick had no idea why. They had been in worst situations before, so why was she so distraught. He started wiping away her tears she let out a choked cry. "Hey, it's ok sweetheart. We're here and in one piece."

Judy grimaced as she continued to rub her cheek into his palm. "It's not that Nick," she finally choked out. The Rabbit opened her eyes and there was fear behind that amethysts gaze. She breathed a shaky breath before continuing on. "I looked up Reggie's information in the database," started the shaken doe, "to see if maybe he transferred to a different Precinct…and…" her mouth opened and closed wordlessly before pinching her eyes shut. "Duke's right. There is no record of Reggie ever being a cop. It's like he never was there." She started shaking uncontrollably, "What's going on Nick?"

The vulpine was for once at a loss for words. If Reggie had transferred out he would still be in the database, but have him not even in as an officer at all…it didn't make sense. What did make sense was that the crying doe in front of him needed Nick more than anything. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her head to his shoulder. "It's ok Judy…We'll figure it out," he tried to say soothingly, petting her ears that were lying on the back of her head, "we always figure it out…" Nick let the strong doe in his grip let out all the emotions she had been holding back. The Fox officer closed his eyes and focused on her scent to calm his racing heart.


	29. Undercover Part One

The white Weasel struggled to conscious. His eye lids felt heavy as his head lolled about upon his shoulders. The mustela's arms and legs didn't seem to want to move either, and whatever he was sitting on felt too hard for his comfort. He shook his head to try and wake up, but only found himself becoming dizzy from the motion. Eventually the mammal opened his eyes to his surroundings. The Ermine found himself in an unfamiliar location. There were no windows and only a naked bulb gave the source of light to the room. It was enough to reveal the grey, concrete walls that surrounded him. An old metal door was several yards away from him. It looked thick, but from his location he couldn't tell how thick. Just to the left of the door in the shadow of a corner it looked like a small table and two chairs. He could barely make out any details other than the outline of the objects. The concrete floor seemed to have sand scattered throughout, as if no one ever cleaned it. As he studied the floor further, he saw discolorations spotted the floor and seemed to be on some of the sand as well. Once his sense of smell came to the mustela, he filled his lungs with the stench of the room. Many different mammals seemed to have been in here, including four mammals that he recognized. His head still spun as he tried to put the pieces together. Another smell almost overpowered the smell of the other mammals was on that sadly the Weasel was familiar with. It was the smell of blood. The metal door squeaked open as a flood of natural light spilled in causing the Weasel to squint his eyes. With it a gust of wind, sand filtered in as well.

Two mammals stepped through the doorway, one a large Brown Boar, and the other a small grey Pangolin. The Boar's tusks were gold plated at the tips. Both wore black suits, but only the Pangolin wore a tie. "Well, look who's finally awake?" commented the Boar in a deep baritone. The pig sneered at his own words, revealing a mouth missing teeth. A gold watch attached to the mammal's left wrist that somehow the Weasel knew was the only the only accessory the pig had.

"Yeah," the Pangolin started with a high pitched chuckle, "the boss will be happy to hear that."

The Boar reached down and smacked the head of the smaller mammal. "Idiot! The boss won't be happy till we get information."

The smaller mammal rubbed the back of his head with his long claws. "Ah sorry Ivan..."

The Ermine lurched forward to attack the two mammals, but struggled against something. Looking to his left and right, the Weasel realized that he had been tied to a heavy, wooden chair. Not simply his arms, but his legs as well. The mustela noticed that all he had on was a torn white undershirt and his black boxers. He moved his tail up and down and found that appendage bouncing between the seat and backrest of the chair. What amazed the mustela wasn't that he was tied to a chair, but that it seemed his captors had used a chair meant for smaller mammals. He looked back to the pair of mammals holding him hostage.

"No use trying to get out of that Xander," started the Boar with smug satisfaction, "you ain't getting out anytime soon."

"Hehe, yeah" laughed the Pangolin, rubbing his clawed paws together, "and...And the only way you're leaving is in a BODY BAG!" finished the smaller mammal with a fit of laughter.

The Weasel frowned, his drowsiness finally leaving abating; everything started to come back to him. The last three months hadn't been the best, so it only made sense that he would be captured by these goons. The night...or day, as the Weasel wasn't sure how much time had passed, of his capture also came back. Sending the girls away, waiting for Puankulak to find him, the struggle before being tranqed, it all came back to the mustela. He glared with black, beady eyes at the two mammals in front of him. "Kedi too much of a coward to do it himself?" The Weasel snidely asked. He sneered back at the thugs in front of him, "I don't think you two are up for the challenge."

The Boar strode forward and smashed his fist in the exposed stomach of the restrained mammal. "Who do you work for?" The brown mammal questioned.

The blow forced the mustela to double over as far as his tied arms let him. A coughing fit erupted from the captive mammal as his lungs struggled for air. Finally he breathed deeply, and then flashed a defiant smile at the larger mammal. "Keep trying curly."

* * *

 _Reggie simply stared dumbfounded at the Cape Buffalo across from him. He shook his stupor off and asked the first question that came to mind, "Come again sir?"_

 _The Chief brought a hoof up to massage the side of his head. "Your next assignment will be an undercover assignment. All necessary information is in that file about the target. Detectives Blackpaw will be your contact in case you need an early extraction. The mission is supposed to last only a week, but of necessary changes can be made." The bull shifted in his seat before standing up as if to leave._

 _"Sir?" called out the young officer.. Bogo stopped and turned back to the Weasel. "Why was I chosen sir? I'm just a rookie, aren't there more qualified officers?"_

 _"To be perfectly blunt, yes..." Reggie's tail sunk slightly, "...but the mission requires someone who isn't as well known." The Cape Buffalo stood at ease with hooves behind his back. "The information I am about to tell you is covered in the file, but I will enlighten you nonetheless."_

 _"First is that there seems to be a leak in Precinct Six. This leak makes it difficult for the Z.P.D. to send our more experienced undercover agents in simply because they could be recognized by the leak. Therefore Precinct One has decided to perform an independent operation with a lesser known officer in order to gather information._

 _Second deals directly with the first. Since there is a leak, whoever was chosen would have to have their information temporarily removed from our database in order not to be discovered. This means that it would have to be a newer officer since the older the officer, generally the more there is to remove and put back._

 _Finally, we needed an officer who knows how to integrate themselves in a criminal organization. Someone with the experience necessary to blend in, if you will. That leads us to you Officer Weaselton."_

 _Reggie hadn't even read the file, and already the mission seemed daunting. Still a nagging question plagued the back of his mind. The mustela frowned, "Sir, this definition sounds closer to Officer Wilde than me."_

 _A chuckle from behind the Chief drew both the rookie's and bull's attention. Blackpaw Once again looked painfully smug as he shrugged his shoulders at the two staring mammals. "What can I say? I agree with Weaselton."_

 _"Be that as it may," started Chief Bogo, his voice with a dangerous edge, "I expect both you and Zirafa to support Officer Weaselton in this endeavor." The Mountain lion nodded, but the grin never faded. The Cape Buffalo turned his gaze back onto the Weasel. "I expect you to do what is necessary, but to remember that your safety comes first. Is that clear?"_

 _The young officer saluted the Chief. "Yes sir!" The Cape Buffalo nodded, before leaving the room. Now Reggie was stuck in the same room with the same detectives that had been grilling him moments before, but this time they were supposed to help him?_

 _"You might want to start reading that," Zirafa said with a smile, pushing himself off the one-way glass and making for his chair once more, "we need to come up with a game plan for this assignment." Blackpaw joined his partner back in his seat as well._

 _Reggie breathed deeply before opening up the folder in front of him. Immediately he let out a groan in disbelief at his "new" name._ _"I'm so rutted..."_

* * *

 _Reggie had been staring out the window of the apartment that would be his base of operations for some time now. It had only been several hours since he was last in Precinct One, but the young mammal wasn't sure when he would be back in uniform. The detectives had only planned for this to take a week, two tops; to get the necessary information, but the Weasel had a sinking feeling it would take more than that._

 _Before coming to his new abode, Reggie had convinced Zirafa to drive him to his apartment in Sahara Square. His reasoning being it made sense for him to simply wear clothes he was comfortable in compared to standing out in new clothing. A few shirts, pants and under garments were what he decided to bring. He didn't have a winter jacket, but an old hoodie stuffed underneath his bed seemed thick enough to work until his fur coat grew in naturally._

 _The young mustela grumbled at the thought of growing his fur coat. Mary had simply been working in Tundra Town, yet hers was coming in. It had led her to be slightly mismatched color wise as her naturally brown coloring retreated down to her back. It was replaced by a pure snow white. Reggie always despised cleaning his winter coat._

 _The apartment he was currently staying in was an old safe house that was in the more dilapidated section of Tundra Town. Located in the eastern section, close to the climate walls leading to the Meadowlands, the complex sat on a street labeled Snowball Ave. The Weasel couldn't help his immature snicker as he read the sign and noticed the obvious working girls standing on the corner. The set up wasn't too different than his in Sahara Square. A studio apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom, but unlike his personal space, this one was built for larger mammals in mind. That meant that most of the appliances were too high or too big for Reggie to use, but did allow him to have gigantic bed in comparison to his own size._

 _The bed was pressed up a corner, with the window Reggie was staring out of near the foot of the bed. The kitchen area and front door were across from the wall that the head of the bed was against. A simple, white tiled, kitchen with a fridge, stovetop, sink and several cabinets, but no oven. On the other side of the room sat a large, by comparison, metal desk and chair combination with reading lamp on top. The bathroom had its own door, which had a sink, toilet and tub/shower combination. The Weasel could easily swim in the tub. The walls were a blank white, with the floor having soft, blue carpeting and several light fixtures over the living area and kitchen lit up the area. Still the space was so large, and so devoid of anything other than necessities, that it didn't seem possible for the smaller mammal to live comfortably._

 _Of course this place wasn't supposed to be comfortable but simply a place to sleep when not out and about. His assignment and all the information he had been given by the Chief seemed lacking. The young mustela felt uneasy with the whole idea, and felt he needed to gather more information. That led to him standing at the end of his bed, staring out at the corner of Snowball and Seventh street watching the prostitutes being picked up and dropped off._

 _Reggie didn't know Tundra Town. He didn't know what to say, who to know other than Mr. Big and what the talk of the district was. It would have been easy to find out in Sahara Square, or even his old stomping grounds of the Rainforest District. Out in the cold, snowy land that was Tundra Town though, he needed more. Who better to ask than those whose lives were based off that information?_

 _A black SUV rolled once again to stop at the corner, standing out surrounded by white snow that falls periodically. All the females went to the vehicle, which told Reggie that the mammal in charge was in there. Even with the streetlights and traffic lights, the Weasel couldn't completely make out the mammals working the corner. There seemed to be three, but he couldn't be sure. Eventually the SUV drove off, and Reggie decided if he was going to reach out, now was that time._

 _The Weasel was dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a matching cotton, long sleeved shirt. The old black hoodie lined with extra layers of fabric to insulate the inside had been a birthday gift from Duchess. Why she had decided to get him an insulated hoodie while he was living in Sahara Square he would never know, but was eternally grateful for. He stepped into the cream colored hallway and grey speckled linoleum floor to the stairway. His apartment was on the third floor of a three story building that, even though in the poorer section of Tundra Town, had central heating throughout the entire structure._

 _He pushed the large, glass door that separated the warm Weasel from the cold outside and was surprised when he felt considerable resistance. The howling of the wind outside told him a gust was adding to the weight, so Reggie waited for the wind to die down before easily pushing to door open._

 _The young mammal immediately regretted his decision to go outside at night. The temperature was easily below 30, and the wind was cutting through his hoodie with ease. Still the mustela had a mission, and he knew that as long as he kept moving he would stay warm. As he trudged through inches of snow to cross the street, he wrapped his arms around his body in a futile attempt to hold onto his warmth. When Reggie moved, he could feel warmth surrounding his body, but as soon as a gust of wind came and pushed him along, it was lost._

 _After what felt like an eternity, the Weasel found himself feet away from the working girls. Now that Reggie was closer, he saw that there were three distinct figures standing about. One was a Tiger that at a quick glance looked smaller than Jackson or Fangmeyer. Another was a white wool sheep, and the final with her back turned to the approaching male was a red fox._

 _"Well, well, well, looks like mister voyeur decided to come out and play," the Vixen mocked while turning to face Reggie. She was wearing a blue sequin top and black skirt that only reached mid-thigh. Her fur seemed thicker than other Fox's Reggie had seen. The vixen's paws and ears were black, but her tail had a white tip to it. There was more white fur around her muzzle that seemed connected to her throat and below. Sapphire blue eyes fell on the shivering mammal as she seemed to size the Weasel up. There was a giggle behind the Fox, and the two other mammals joined their companion._

 _"He's smaller in the flesh." said the sheep with a smile on her snout. Her wool sparkled in the light, and the tight, black dress she was wearing seemed to be barely holding it in. Every opening from the dress spilled out with wool, but the top of her head seemed immaculately trimmed._

 _"I heard," started the Tiger, as she leaned in closer to Reggie with golden honey colored eyes, "Weasel's are_ _ **insatiable**_ _." The final word said in a loud whisper and a lick of her lips. The feline looked closer to the vixen next to her clothing wise. Instead of blue sequin, it was a canary yellow. The skirt she wore was striped black and white. What she had that the two didn't was a pink scarf wrapped around her throat and draped over her shoulders._

 _Reggie was unfazed by the trio's obvious act. While he had to respect the fact that they had noticed him, the mustela had been staring for some time. "Are you done?" he huffed._

 _"Only if you are sugar," the vixen quipped, kneeling to come closer to the Weasel's height, "course I would be mighty disappointed if a strong, handsome mammal such as yourself was done so quickly." As she spoke, the Fox closed her eyes and ran her paws down the front of her chest. They continued down the front of her thighs, with her digits gently caressing her inner thighs, before bring them up the outside of her thighs and finishing with a raise of her muzzle and a low moan._

 _Reggie would be lying if he said that the display didn't give him a physical response, but right now he had a job to do. Reggie cleared his throat and pointed at the Fox, "You'll do." It was becoming more apparent that the vixen was the de facto leader of the group. Even though the Tiger leaned forward, her hind paws remained rooted behind the red female. The sheep had an air of authority, but still stayed a step behind the Fox. If any of them would be willing to talk, or even knew what was happening, it was the blue eyed Fox._

 _The red female scoffed and stood up. "Honey, you can't afford me if that's your attitude."_

 _"I can afford you no problem," Reggie retorted slightly insulted, "besides, I think I have something else that may help too."_

 _"Oh? What would that be?"_

 _"A nice, warm, clean, apartment." The mustela retorted victoriously. He may not have been a master negotiator, but Duchess had taught him enough that Reggie knew what he was doing. Offering warmth to any mammal in Tundra Town seemed like the way to go._

 _The vixen frowned and folded her arms. She glanced at her two companions before sighing. "Alright, you win."_

 _Reggie nodded, "We'll talk prices inside."_

 _The Fox shrugged, and then turned to her the other two mammals. "Give 'em here girls, looks like it's my turn." The two other mammals started pulling out rubber bags from their necklines._

 _"Hurry up with this Cher, I'm freezing my tail off." The Tiger said as she wrapped her around herself._

 _"Don't worry doll," the sheep said as she walked over to the feline, "I'll keep ya warm." The sheep clasped onto the Tiger's much larger arm and snuggled closer. The Big cat simply chuffed._

 _"Come on honey," the Vixen said, bags in hand, "let's go to that warm, clean, apartment of yours." She walked ahead of the mustela, tail swishing with each step._

 _Reggie was starting to wonder if this was a bad idea._

* * *

 _Stepping into the apartment, with the vixen behind him, Reggie started to consider the ramifications of bringing a prostitute to a Z.P.D. safe house._

 _"Well…it's warm that's for sure." Remarked the Fox as she stepped past the Weasel. The vixen stood in the center of the room with the rubber bags in paw. Her gaze washed over every square inch of the apartment. "I'm starting to believe that in fact, you can't afford me." She turned back to Reggie who was still standing by the now closed door._

 _The Weasel shrugged and walked over to the desk in the corner. "Don't just a Weasel by his cover." For any expenses, Blackpaw and Zirafa gave Reggie five hundred dollars in cash. It seemed too much for a week of undercover, but the mustela figured he would give back whatever he didn't use. They also gave him a disposable phone that only had the number of another burner that Blackpaw had programmed in. Since he had just arrived not too long ago, the young mammal had simply thrown the envelope filled with money and cell phone in the bottom drawer of the desk. Opening the envelope for the first time, Reggie looked through the bills and counted to see if all of what was said was there. "Five hundred, all here…" Reggie thought, as the turned around to find the vixen getting comfortable on the bed._

 _She was sprawled out on the bed, eyes closed and rubbing her paws on the sheets. "No blanket? Such a little Spartan you are." She rolled onto her side, and looked at the smaller mammal. Her gaze fell onto the envelope in Reggie's hands before meeting the black eyes of the Weasel. "Is that money, mommy and daddy gave you?"_

 _Reggie frowned, but ignored the comment otherwise. "What's your rate?"_

 _"Fifty for a half hour, hundred for an hour, and two hundred for anything…special…" The final word was said in a seductive stage whisper. She swung her legs behind her and lay on her stomach as she watched the Weasel with an intense gaze, her tail swishing slowly and methodically behind her._

 _"Special huh…" Reggie said with a smirk. He pulled the cash out of the envelope, and then placed the envelope back in the drawer. He would have to find a better hiding place for both items later. The mustela made his way over to the waiting vixen, and held half the bills out. "Half now…half later." Reggie said uncompromisingly. If she didn't know anything, than only wasting a hundred compared to two would be better overall._

 _The Fox grabbed the bills out of the Weasel's paw, and rolled onto her back to count the money. Once she was satisfied that one hundred was there, the vixen sat up and spun so she was sitting on her hind paws and knees facing the mustela. "Normally Jezebel is our specialist when it comes too...specials, but I know what I'm doing. I'm going to warn you now, if I get hurt than Ramero is going to have your hide." She finished with a stern look and a wag of a digit, before smiling and opening a paw towards Reggie. "So what gets you going? Spanking? Choking? Tying me up...Tying you up…?"_

 _"Information," the Weasel grumbled out. He had to wonder if he really looked like the type of mammal that got off on those types of things. "All I want to do is talk and gain some information about Tundra Town."_

 _The vixen groaned and rolled her eyes. "You're a talker?" There was annoyance in her voice, "Why can't we just have sex, so I can get out of here?"_

 _"What the Rutt?" Reggie wondered. Was talking that bad? "Is it seriously that annoying to talk instead of doing…other stuff?"_

 _The Fox let out a laugh. "I promise you darling," she started with a wave of her paw, "that rarely do any of my customers last their allotted time…except for the talkers." The vixen sighed and pushed herself off the bed. "If we're gonna talk, then at least let me run out to my friends." Without confirmation from Reggie, she jumped off the bed and strode over to the kitchen. There the Weasel saw were those rubber bags. She turned lifted herself onto the counter and turned the hot water on. As she waited for the water to heat up, something that seemed to be taking too long, she gave her attention back to Reggie. "So if we're going to be talking, what should I call you?"_

 _Reggie internally groaned. He really did hate the name they gave him. "Just call me ex for now."_

 _"Ex huh…well you can call me Cherry."_

 _"Like the fruit?"_

 _"More like the drink."_

 _Reggie frowned, he had never heard of any cherry drink. He shrugged, "When you're done, I expect you to talk."_

 _Cherry smirked, "Trust me honey, I never leave a job unfinished…besides, this may be the easiest two hundred I've ever made."_

* * *

 _Reggie was standing in the cold outside of the Cat's Meow. The neon lights flashing and reflecting off the snow underneath his paws. The young mammal had talked with Cherry for longer than an hour two days ago, but thankfully she didn't ask for another payment. The information that the vixen gave allowed for Reggie to have a better idea of not only the club, but also the owner. The Bobcat running it, Kedi Puankulak,_ _had no ability whatsoever to run the club, still it made money. This aligned with the Z.P.D. thinking that the location was a front for something larger. What she also told the young mammal that the Z.P.D. didn't know was that every now and then Kedi would hire some mammals for what was rumored to be big jobs, but no other mammals knew what. What also was suspicious was that the hired mammals never stuck around Tundra Town after the job._

 _The Weasel was shivering as he waited in line for the club. He hadn't worn his hoodie, and instead went with a black button down and jeans. It wasn't the best look, but Reggie wasn't a club goer to begin with. The mustela rubbed his paws on his arms, hoping to create some form of heat. It amazed him how many females and males alike could wear close to nothing, yet the cold didn't seem to affect them. "Just wait Regg," the mustela grumbled to himself, "once that winter coat comes in, you aren't going to feel it." The line slowly moved, and Reggie did his best not to freeze in the process. Eventually the young mammal was standing at the front of the line, waiting as two brown furred bison looked over his identification. Neither bouncer looked convinced that the id was Reggie's…even though it had his face, actual birthday and general information. It wasn't even a fake id either, but a real id that pretty much changed his name._

 _"So…," the bouncer holding the id started as he stared down at the Weasel, "your name is Xander Claws?"_

 _Reggie stifled a groan, "Yep. Mom was a big fan of those triple X movies."_

 _"That movie came out in two thousand two…" stated the other Bull, suspiciously eyeing the Weasel._

 _The mustela shrugged, "She changed my name," he then leaned in conspiratorially and whispered "my name used to be Reginald if you can believe it."_

 _"Ew" responded one of the Bison, "Reginald really?"_

 _Reggie nodded solemnly, "Only for me to be renamed Xander," he sighed dejectedly, and then shrugged; "now you know my pain."_

 _"Well, at least you can drink your pain away…" The bison moved the rope blocking Reggie's way. "Welcome to the Cat's Meow."_


	30. Undercover Part Two

**Hello Readers,**

 **Sorry for the delay. Next week should be on time, but I can't make any promises about the chapters following that. Criticism always welcome and enjoy!**

 **-CG**

* * *

 _The club was everything Reggie hated about the city mashed together. It was loud, smelled of too many mammals, was crowded, and the flashing strobe lights didn't help with the Weasel's eyesight. Reggie found himself bouncing off mammals' legs, with appropriate shouts of apologies, as he made his way to the bar. Surprisingly the bar didn't have too many mammals loitering around. They would come, place an order, grab it, and then slip back into the crowd. At the end of the bar, where it met the wall, several stools were lined up. Reggie climbed one of the middle ones and propped himself on the edge. Once the badger bartender came around the Weasel said to give him whatever the special was. The server gave the Weasel a weird look before simply shrugging and started to prepare the drink._

 _Being floor level gave the Weasel very little information about the establishment other than a good amount of medium and large mammals seemed to come here. Now looking out on the dance floor and crowded area, the young mammal realized he was underdressed. Every single mammal, from dancers to those milling about, wore some kind of vibrant outfit. It looked like a glitter rainbow settled inside and covered everything possible. It strained the Weasel's eyes simply looking out at the club goers. He could see how packed the dance floor was, but a grey she wolf in a glittering black dress stood out among the rest. The back of the Weasel's mind itched with recognition, but he couldn't understand why. The strobe lights were coming from the front of the dance floor, where some indistinguishable mammal was dj-ing. A light past over Reggie's vision and blinded him temporarily. The mustela grimaced and rubbed his eyes. A small thud in front of him had the young mammal opening his eyes slowly._

 _The bartender had placed in front of Reggie a bright red drink in a thin stemmed glass. The Weasel blinked in the hopes that the color was simply a trick on his eyes, yet still the color remained. "What's this?" yelled Reggie over the thundering music playing. "Your drink," replied the bartender just as loud, leaving the Weasel to his thoughts. Reggie grasped the stem and brought it closer. He saw a cherry sitting at the bottom of the glass. The smell of artificial cherries filled his nose. The Weasel sipped the drink, and his taste buds immediately filled with the flavor of rum, a hint of lime and of course cherries. Being a Weasel, Reggie never felt the need to eat anything outside of protein, but if this is what cherries taste like than the young mammal was going to have to reconsider his assessment._

 _The mustela's train of thought was interrupted when a mammal pushed him from behind. Stumbling forward, the bottom of Reggie's drink accidently hit the rim of the bar and poured some of the cold liquid onto the front of the Weasel. Shocked, the young mammal turned around to confront the aggressor. Reggie was met with three snow white wolves. All three of them were at least twice his size in height, and definitely weighed much more. In fact the Weasel may have been worried by the trio, if not for the ridiculous colored outfits they were wearing. All three of them were wearing neon, multicolored sleeveless muscle shirts with tight black pants. If the Weasel didn't know any better, he may have mistaken them for a pop group._

 _"You're in my seat, Snake," the middle and largest wolf spoke. The lupine leaned in closer to the mustela, "and I don't think you want to stay there."_

 _Even over the oppressively loud music, Reggie could hear the growl that accompanied the final words. "You spilled my drink," started the Weasel blankly, doing his best to show no emotion, "I think you should buy me a new one." Reggie finished his statement by raising his fruity concoction to his lips and sipping it loudly. He finished his sip with a condescending "ah" and continued to stare directly at the Wolf. The Weasel understood what was happening. The trio was trying to assert their dominance in the club. It wasn't something that had never happened to the young officer, but the fact that these three had to gang up on the smaller mammal didn't bode well for the small pack overall._

 _The Weasel once again sipped his drink, but this time he used the activity to focus on his adversaries. The fact that the two other wolves hadn't moved suggested that the one in the middle, now openly snarling at the mustela, was either the alpha or at least ahead of them. In an open fight, Reggie surmised he would probably lose. The trio looked in good enough shape, and wolves in a group were always difficult to beat. What was important was that this wasn't an open area, and the Weasel wasn't about to fight fairly. The crowded location and corner that he found himself in led itself to his size and specialty. He knew he couldn't War Dance in this location. All he needed was his cover to be blown because of reports of a mad Weasel. No, he would have to beat the trio of wolves without too much damage being done to them or him._

 _Just as the glass left the mustela's lips, the snarling wolf slammed his paw on the bar behind the Weasel. The Wolf's arm partially boxing the young mammal in. "Now look hear you little gutter eel," Reggie's brow rose, "You are going to move, or so help me-"_

 _The Wolf didn't finish his statement. The Weasel threw the rest of his drink into the face of the large Wolf, who reeled back from the sting of the alcohol in his eyes. The young mammal jumped off his stool towards the wolf on his left, glass still in paw. Reggie latched onto the shirt of the surprised lupine with his right paw and using his built up momentum smashed the glass still in his left paw onto the side of the Wolf's muzzle. There was a yelp of pain as Reggie let go of the wolf and fell backwards to the ground. He landed with a thud and a grunt just as a white and neon body tackled the injured wolf to the ground. The third wolf had launched himself at where the Weasel had been._

 _The young mammal, now prone on his back, started backpedaling away from the staggered pack. The largest wolf once regained his bearings quickly and moved to stomp on the Weasel. Just before the hind paw crushed his ribs, Reggie turned to his left and felt the impact of the blow through the floor. He then wrapped his right arm around the ankle of the Wolf and turned back towards the offending appendage. Pulling himself with all his might, Reggie plunged the jagged stem of the shattered glass into the calf of the large wolf. A howl of pain interrupted the music as the Weasel scampered underneath the now kneeling Wolf and struggled to get to his hind paws. As soon as Reggie stood, a blow sent him flying into the wall. The impact forced all air out of Reggie's lungs as he landed crumpled on the ground._

 _"Right...three wolves..." Reggie lamented as he steadied himself against the wall. The pack had regrouped. The largest wolf was walking with a limp, and wouldn't have too much mobility. The second wolf still had glass in his muzzle, and didn't look as convinced as his compatriots to continue the brawl. The third wolf looked perfectly fine and the Weasel assumed that it was this one that delivered the kick._

 _"You should have moved weasel," started the leader as he supported himself against the bar, "now I'm gonna have to tear you apart!"_

 _Reggie couldn't help but smile, "Bring it snowflake."_

 _Before the wolves could react, the lights on the club turned on and the music turned off. Reggie blinked away the discomfort to focus on his adversaries, who were doing the same. Reggie saw the familiar horns of the Bison from outside making their way towards the scuffle. The third wolf made to move for the mustela, but a burly arm shot forward, grabbed the lupine by the scruff, and lifted him off the ground. Neither of the Bulls looked pleased with the turn of events, and the one with the Wolf in good turned the frightened mammal towards him. "No fighting..." is all the Bison stage whispered, but the words sapped the fight out of all four mammals. The Wolf nodded quickly in agreement before the large mammal carried the now cowering lupine through the crowd. The second Bull grabbed the two others unceremoniously and both gave a startled yelp as the irate mammal lifted them up by the scruffs of their necks._

 _Reggie was shocked by the turn of events. His surprise didn't last long as a large, middle aged looking Brown Boar in a navy blue suit sauntered over to the young mustela. "The Boss wants to see you." the mammal said, before putting a firm paw on Reggie's shoulder and pushing him through the thinning crowd that surrounded them. The Weasel recognized the Boar. One Ivan Svinya is what his file had said. Small time muscle turned right pawed mammal of Kedi Puankulak, the owner of the club. The list of felonies and suspected crimes on the Boar's list alone had several sheets of paper dedicated to it. When mixed in with Kedi's and the third mammal_ _Ikan_ _Skaal's felonies, the Weasel knew he wasn't dealing with amateurs but tried and true professional criminals. What would have all three of them teaming up to run the "Cat's Meow" the young mammal couldn't even fathom at the moment._

 _The lights came back down and the music once again started playing as Svinya continued to guide Reggie forward. Moving past the dance floor and behind the stage where the DJ was set up was a medium sized door. The Boar rapped on the door with his free hoof, and even though Reggie couldn't hear it over the bass of the music, the door swung open. As he was pushed through the doorway, the mustela heard the click of the door behind him. With the door closed, all the music seemed to die down to a whisper. The room the Weasel was guided too was a cramped office with a sickly yellow bulb hanging above that seemed to be the only source of light. The walls were a dull light brown and several metal filing cabinets were lined throughout the closed in space. A metal desk was situated in the middle of the room with a white monitor. A bored looking Bobcat sat behind the desk while a nervous Pika stood on the opposite corner of the monitor._

 _"Here's the guy," said the hog. The Bobcat looked up with pale blue eyes at the mustela. Reggie continued to stare forward, but softened his gaze to try and look non-confrontational. The feline sighed and stood up from his chair, bending backwards to stretch out his back. The Weasel heard a loud pop and a heavy sigh from the Cat._

 _There was no mistaking who the young mammal was staring at. This was Kedi Puankulak, possible middle mammal for all the guns coming into Zootopia. The photos that the Z.P.D. had given Reggie to look over did not do the feline credit. The Cat may not have been as large as a Tiger or a Lion, but the tightness of the suit the Bobcat wore as well as his fluid movement towards the front of the desk told the Weasel everything he needed to know. Kedi was not a mammal to be trifled with._

 _If the Bobcat wasn't given enough credit, than its possible the Pika wasn't given too much. The smaller mammal's paws were wringing with nervous energy. Dressed in a shabby brown tweed suit that seemed to make the Pika frumpy, the rodent seemed to be shaking with fear. What confused the Weasel was that in this confined area; Reggie should have smelled the waves of adrenaline and fear coming off the smaller mammal. That wasn't the case though; in fact the mustela couldn't smell any emotion at all off of the rodent._

 _"So you're the mammal who started a fight in my club." Kedi stated. The voice of the Bobcat was smooth. Even with what was said, there didn't seem to be any malice in the words. If anything the feline seemed bored._

 _"They started it," Reggie responded, he looked back into the eyes of the questioning mammal, "I simply was willing to finish it."_

 _The Bobcat nodded, "I know." He then turned the old monitor for Reggie to see. On the screen was a paused black and white video that showed the corner of the bar that Reggie and the Wolves had been in. The angle suggested that it was almost above them. Kedi reached over and tapped something on the keyboard and the video started. It showed the Weasel arriving and ordering his drink. The trio showed up not too much longer after that and the middle one pushing Reggie from behind. Reggie then turned around to confront the three. The Bobcat stopped the video. "I don't think you need to see the rest." He turned the monitor back around. "I have only one question," started Kedi as he slid off the desk and bent down closer to Reggie's level, "why would a Weasel like you fight three wolves?"_

 _"They spilled my drink and didn't want to pay for another." Reggie deadpanned. There was no need to mention that the trio was primed for a fight, and they simply chose the wrong mammal._

 _There was a pregnant pause, and then Kedi snorted. He chuckled and shook his head. "You are one crazy Weasel." The Bobcat nudged the silent Pika sitting next to him. "Himils, can we hire another body."_

 _The rodent was startled from his stupor and adjusted the wire frame glasses resting on his snout. Himils blinked, "I believe tha-that the club is making enough to hire another employee. We could always use another dishwasher."_

 _Reggie felt this was a trap. This was too easy. Still Blackpaw and Zirafa told him to get in any way possible, and if that meant being a dish cleaner then the Weasel was willing to do it. "What's the job?"_

 _"Willing to sign on, even though you don't know what it is?" Kedi started, "you are either very crazy or very desperate. I could use either."_

* * *

 _Reggie had been following the well dressed Capybara since the brown cavy left the office building after closing time. Sun setting, and darkness almost upon them, the mustela knew this was the time to act. The warmer climate mammal was obviously bundled with multiple layers. It had been several days since Kedi hired the Weasel. The Bobcat had been impressed with Reggie's spirit and willingness to fight. In the feline's own words, "Never saw a Weasel like you before." The Big Cat may have meant it as a compliment, but the young mammal couldn't help but feel grimy from the words. Instead of working in the club, Kedi had employed Reggie as a "retriever of goods." In other words the Weasel was expected to break knees and make sure people paid. The Bobcat was smart too. The words were never used specifically. It was always "talk to my friend," or "discuss the loan I gave," and even more cliché lines that would have allowed for plausible deniability._

 _The Capybara walked briskly down the street towards a small compact car. Reggie stayed light on his hind paws, moving quietly across the snow covered sidewalk. The fact that Ivan had given Reggie the copper pipe that was hidden up his sleeve for this told the young mammal more than any words said by either the Boar or the Bobcat. The message was clear, hurt the mammal. The Weasel's stomach had turned when grasped the cold metal. It was just as light as his baton, though much more fragile. This was his first real test from the Bobcat. Could he, "Xander", deal with the dirtier end of these deals? Could the mustela collect, or would he fold under the pressure?_

 _The business mammal was fishing into his pockets to grab what Reggie assumed were keys. The jangling of metal told the Weasel he was correct. The young mammal walked nonchalantly behind the Capybara, slipping the pipe into his paw. With quickness came easily to his species, Reggie swung the metal into the knee of the larger mammal. A shrill cry of pain came from the brown mammal as he collapsed against the side of his car, knee buckling from the blow. The Weasel stepped back as the larger mammal flailed to turn around. The Capybara stared wild eyed at the smaller mammal._

 _"Wha-…what the rutt?" the water hog exclaimed. He tried pushing himself away from the Weasel, but with his back to the car there was no escape._

 _Reggie walked calmly forward, pipe still in paw. The herbivore tried to kick at the carnivore, but was met with a retaliatory blow from the pipe. "Stop," Reggie barked, his tail puffing in agitation, "or it'll only get worse." The Capybara stopped and the mustela continued his advance. The larger mammal stayed still, a small shrill whimper the only acknowledgement from the injured mammal. The Weasel motioned with his empty paw for the water hog to come closer. The now shaking mammal slowly inched forward, until the snout of the herbivore was inches away from Reggie's muzzle. Without breaking eye contact, the Weasel swung the pipe towards the neck of the Capybara. The larger mammal once again let out a shrill cry and flinched. The mustela gently tapped the cold metal onto the furred neck of the mammal in front of him. He then spoke the words that Kedi told him to speak._

 _"Remember your debts, Harrington."_

* * *

 _Reggie hated every moment of his job so far. After the Capybara and getting a small cut of what was paid afterwards, the Weasel was given another job by the Bobcat. This time he needed to have a discussion with "…an old friend's mate about an unpaid tab." The "old friend" happened to be a Snowshoe Hare that had taken a loan from the feline. Instead of groveling to the Bobcat, the hare decided to threaten to go to the Z.P.D. That did not sit well with the "reformed" felon, and that meant that drastic measures had to be taken. No weapon was given to the Weasel, but he also assured he could do the necessary job._

 _That is why the Weasel found himself in the underground house of the hare, with his knee digging into the back of a white doe. He had simply told the hare that he was a friend from her mate's work, and she had believed the mustela. Reggie wanted desperately for this job to be over, but a message had to be delivered still._

 _"Shut up!" screamed the Weasel at his trapped quarry who was shrieking and crying underneath him. His one paw gripping her by the back of her neck as the other was shoulder high ready to strike._

 _"Please don't hurt me!" cried out the doe. Tears streaming out of her closed eyes as her hind paws kicked uselessly behind the Weasel._

 _"Shut up or I swear it'll only get worse," growled out the mustela. Reggie could smell the waves of fear and adrenaline off of the hare. It fogged his mind and put his instincts on edge. He needed this to be over before he did something he would regret. The mustela lowered his paw closer to the face of the doe. "Open your eyes." He commanded. She shook her head. "Open your eyes." Once again the Weasel pressed, pushing down on her neck as a snarl formed on his muzzle. Slowly the hare opened her eyes. Brown pools filled with fear were exposed to the mustela. He flexed the paw close to the doe. She let out another sob. "Remember, Miss Leaps," started Reggie, trying to keep his emotions in check, "remember to tell Harry that we can get to you whenever. Your house isn't safe and the Z.P.D. can't help you. Will you remember that?" Ms. Leaps nodded her head, eyes closed and biting her bottom lip._

 _Reggie sighed, "Good." He stood up off the doe, who stayed plastered on the floor. "Don't tell anyone I was here," the Weasel added feeling drained, "or I'll be back." The young mammal headed to leave the home. He couldn't stop his paws from shaking. He could only take shallow breaths as he heard the cries of the doe._

* * *

 _Reggie felt exhausted. The jobs that Kedi had him performing had not gotten easier, but the one with Miss Leaps gave him a new nightmare. It was heading close to the end of his second week undercover and he was talking to Blackpaw on the phone in his apartment. "All these crimes I've committed, can't we link it back to Kedi? I mean I preformed a breaking and entering and possibly a kidnapping, and we aren't able to move?"_

 _The Mountain Lion sighed on the other end of the line. "Puankulak is smart. He also has enough money lying about to get one of the better lawyers. All the defense needs to say is that you misunderstood Kedi's intentions and boom, reasonable doubt. He hasn't gotten his own paws dirty in a long time."_

 _Reggie leaned back into the desk chair and started to rub his throat. If what he was doing was hurting mammals, and not helping the Z.P.D., why was he still doing it? "Am I still necessary then?" asked the Weasel hesitantly. He didn't want it to show, but playing "Xander" was already starting to take a toll on Reggie._

 _"Yes, you're still necessary Weaselton," responded Blackpaw smoothly, "you are the closest the Z.P.D. has gotten to Puankulak and we aren't going to waste this opportunity to learn more."_

 _"What about the crimes?"_

 _"As long as you don't seriously maim or kill anyone, it can all be written off as necessary. From what you reported, and me checking in on a Mister Harrington, tells me that you are walking close to the line but haven't crossed it yet. Of course you should be careful." The final part was added in a more serious tone._

 _Reggie remembered what he could and couldn't do undercover. They had thankfully gone over it in the interrogation room; however that didn't ease the Weasel's conscious. The young mammal closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "How are things going at Precinct One?" The mustela didn't realize how lonely undercover could be. Not being able to trust any mammal around him and being called by a different name didn't help with his mental state. Reggie assumed it would get better as time went on, but news from the Z.P.D. could help as well._

 _"Same old, same old," Blackpaw responded, "Everything's fine here."_

 _The mustela deflated, "Oh…ok…" Reggie leaned forward, his head falling into his open paw. "Hey, Blackpaw…could you do something for me?"_

 _"What's up?"_

 _"If I'm going to be here longer, could…could you just let my family know I'm doing ok…They worry too much sometimes and I haven't talked to any of them in awhile."_

 _The Mountain Lion sighed. "The problem is that if anyone in your family finds out what you're doing, than it could be leaked to others." The young mammal started to deflate once more, but the feline continued. "However this isn't a normal case, so I think I can at least let them know you are doing ok. Sound good?"_

 _Reggie lightened up and a genuine smile crossed his muzzle. "Thanks Blackpaw."_

 _"No problem…anyway Weaselton, I'll talk to the Chief about extending your time and see if we can get you anymore resources. Can you hold on till then?"_

 _Reggie nodded, "I've gained some cash from Kedi, so I should be self-sufficient soon. I'll keep you updated on that."_

 _"Sounds good to me. Keep taking notes on what's happening and I'll call you next week for an update."_

 _"Right sir." Reggie ended the call and opened the bottom drawer to put the phone back in its hiding place. He had realized that the drawer was big enough to take a small mammal sized phone underneath. Once the item was safely in place, Reggie went to the bed and climbed up to look through his window. The snow storm outside was falling heavily, so much so that the Weasel could barely see a far outside his own window. The traffic lights still shone through the blinding white, but nothing else could be seen. The mustela had taken to watching the street outside of his window. It allowed for him to get a better understanding of the neighborhood, as well as making sure no one was watching his apartment. On more than one occasion he found himself watching the working girls._

 _They had caught his interest, though more in their business than ascetically. The prostitutes seemed busy enough on any given night, and it led the Weasel to wondering how effective a sting would be on this corner. What also caught his interest was that he never saw any Precinct Five cruisers in this area. This allowed for the girls to work in the area without any hindrance. Reggie frowned in thought as the snow continued to pile. "Who would want to come out on a night like this?" the young mammal muttered to himself. "Only the desperate I assume," the Weasel chuckled at the thought but then stopped, "Oh great, I'm talking to myself." He groaned in defeat and fell backwards onto the bed. "What am I going to do?" As if to answer his question, a hurried knock echoed on the door. Reggie frowned and moved to get off the bed. The knocking started once more, this time more panicked. "I'm coming, I'm coming." Reggie yelled irritably. The Weasel jumped up to grab the handle, and pulled the door open. To the young mammal's surprise, the same females on the corner he had been musing about were now standing outside of his doorway._

 _Before the Weasel could speak, the Red Vixen frantically spoke. "Ex, I know this sounds ridiculous, but please, please, PLEASE let us stay for the night."_

 _Reggie gathered himself mentally and looked over the three mammals in front of him. The Vixen and the Sheep were holding up the Tiger, whose head lolled about and looked unsteady on her hind paws. The Weasel's eyesight might not have been good, but even he could see the purple tinting on the feline's lips. The trio was soaked, and some of their fur and wool respectively was frozen in certain areas. Reggie sighed and waved them in. Without any further instructions, the vixen and ewe dragged the partially conscious feline to the open bed. The Weasel had some first aid training, but hadn't had the firstpawed experience for dealing with hypothermia. Still Reggie wasn't expecting it to be such a revealing affair._

 _As Reggie closes the door and turns back towards his unexpected guest, he was surprised with the two other working girls stripping down the much larger one. "What the rutt are you doing?" Logically the Weasel knew, but that didn't make the shock any more unexpected. The male quickly turned away from the three females and stared wide eyed at his door._

 _"Calm down ex, this isn't for a party," said the voice that Reggie recognized as Cherry, "she's hypothermic and needs fur to fur contact. Jezze you got this?"_

 _"Got more wool than you doll."_

 _"You're the best!"_

 _A wet paw on his shoulder startles Reggie from his state. "Don't act so shocked Ex. If I didn't know any better, I would think you have no experience with the opposite sex."_

 _The Weasel shook his head, and coughed into a paw. "My experience is none of your concern." He may have been irritated by the Fox, but the mustela couldn't stop the blush on his cheeks._

 _It's ok Ex," Cherry started, Reggie could feel her breath on his ear, "I can be your first."_

 _The young mustela wasn't too keen on Cherry's suggestion, but even he was surprised by the growl that came from him. Reggie brushed the paw off his shoulder. "No thanks." He said gruffly. The Weasel couldn't look at the vixen as he walked back into the center of the apartment. In Reggie's bed huddled under the blanket together were the Sheep and Tiger. The ewe was stroking the top of the feline's head as the Big Cat seemed to be burying herself further into the smaller mammal._

 _"_ _How is she?" Reggie asked._

 _"_ _Poor dear isn't built like some of luckier mammals," the sheep said, not stopping her motions, "thanks for this." She looked towards Reggie who raised his brown in confusion. "Not many mammals would be willing to do this," she explained, turning back to the sleeping feline she continued. "Others always look down on us…"_

 _"_ _Nothing but stiffs, who need a release, isn't that right Jezz?" said Cherry, stepping next to Reggie._

 _The ewe giggled, "If you say so Cher." She yawned and blinked slowly, "I think I'm gonna follow Saff's lead and sleep a bit. You ok taking care of things?" The vixen chuckled, "I'm a big girl Jezz, don't worry about me." The Sheep nodded before her eyes closed and seemed to slip asleep immediately._

 _Reggie heard a heavy sigh from the vixen. "What your price?" He turned towards the Fox with a frown. "What are you talking about?" Cherry grimaced. "Please don't make this any harder on me…just name what I have to do." To say the Weasel was insulted was putting it mildly. "Do I seriously seem like that much of a deviant that I'm going to use a medical emergency to get laid?!" The last part was said louder than the young mammal meant it to be and he looked away in embarrassment._

 _"_ _Honestly no…but you would be surprised who some of my customers are." Cherry responded. She sighed and walked towards the bed. At the foot of it laid a pile of wet clothing that was causing a puddle in the carpet. The Fox bent down and picked up the sopping pile. "Where's the dryer?"_

 _"_ _Down the hall on the left. It's the only door without a number." The vixen frowned, "None in here?" The mustela shrugged, "Haven't seen any hidden that's for sure." Cherry sighed and her shoulders dropped. "Oh well…do you at least have a shower I can use?" The mustela pointed at the door behind him and the vixen went with arms full._

* * *

 _It had an been over two hours since Cherry went into the bathroom, leaving Reggie with two passed out mammals in his bed and wondering why he agreed to open his door. The storm still hadn't subsided, but thankfully the power hadn't gone out which meant the heat was still on. The Weasel had found an extra sheet and pillow when he was first acclimating to his new apartment. He didn't think he would need to use it, but with his bed full and the desk chair large enough to curl up on, he figured he could makeshift it for one night. As Reggie was making his new bed, the door to the bathroom swung open. The mustela could feel the steam resonating out of the room._

 _"_ _Whew," started the freshly washed vixen, "that's just what I needed."_

 _"_ _I'm glad you feel so much better," Reggie mocked, "it only took all the water in- Fleas and Ticks!?" The young mammal shouted in surprise as he turned to look at the Fox, only to find her standing in nothing but one of his towels. Cherry smirked as Reggie's cheeks burned. "I was joking earlier about your experience, but you really are an innocent little Weasel aren't you?" The young mammal huffed and folded his arms, but it only seemed to convince the Fox even more who simply laughed at the display. "Hope you don't mind, but hung our clothes up on the tub. I'll take them of the properly tomorrow when, you know your neighbors aren't around." She winked and Reggie huffed again._

 _A silence settled between the two, only broken by the erratic snoring of the ewe. There were so many questions that Reggie wanted to ask, but felt it may be too personal. Granted they had barged in on the Weasel in his home…or rather where they thought was his home. None of them knew his real name, but then again the young mammal doubted that the vixen's actual name was Cherry, and "Saff" and "Jezz" seemed too odd to be real either. He may not have been the smartest Weasel, but Reggie couldn't help feel curious about what was going on._

 _"_ _Are you going to ask your questions or are we going to sit in silence all night?" Reggie was started out of his thoughts by the question. Shoulders hunched, he turned to see Cherry sitting at the foot of the bed with another towel wrapped around her tail. She was squeezing the towel and what the young mammal could only assume was to dry out the fluffy appendage. "Sorry about this honey, but you don't have a fur dryer and this thing can get funky without cleaning it correctly." The vixen turned a questioning gaze to the Weasel, "I do assume you have questions?"_

 _"_ _Yeah a couple," Reggie responded, rubbing the back of his head, "I just wasn't sure how to bring it up honestly."_

 _Cherry smiled softly, "To start off then, the reason that we were out in the storm is because Saff didn't make her quota sadly."_

 _"_ _Saff?"_

 _"_ _Oh that's right, you haven't been properly introduced yet," the vixen waved to the sleeping pair next to her, "Saff or Saffron is my feline friend, and Jezz or Jezebel is the woolliest of us." Cherry giggled to herself, and then cast Reggie a knowing look. "As you would guess darling, that isn't their real names…just like Cherry isn't mine."_

 _Reggie nodded in understanding, but then cocked his head in confusion. "Wait you guys have quotas?"_

 _"_ _It's gals' sweetie, and yes we do. Even though we may not be working the most celebrated professions, we are still expected to meet certain…goal each week."_

 _"_ _I'm assuming your pimp sets these goals?"_

 _"_ _Pimp is such a strong word. Rameo prefers...boss."_

 _"_ _Well this_ _ **boss**_ _of yours sounds like a piece of work."_

 _"_ _Hey now," Cherry begun to defend, a deep frown on her muzzle, "Rameo treats us well…better than others that's for sure. He looks out for us, and in return all he wants is sixty percent of what we make."_

 _"_ _Oh that's all," Reggie responded with a sneer, "just sixty percent and standing in the cold."_

 _"_ _What do you know about me?" the vixen retorted angrily, "you don't know what I've been through, or any of us really so who are you to past judgment?" A sneer of her own appeared on Cherry's muzzle. "Besides, I've heard some of things that you've been up to. A Weasel making mammals bleed for Kedi. Ambushing mammals, attacking them in their homes, what type of monster does that? So my question to you is how do you sleep at night?"_

 _The blow hurt more than expected and Reggie plopped onto the carpet. "Not well…" The Weasel couldn't look at the Fox any longer. What she had said was true, and what she had called him fit him perfectly. He really was a monster. "Hey…" Reggie looked up to the vixen, he couldn't bother to hide his sadness. A caring smile played over her muzzle. "Sometimes we have to do what we don't like to survive." The young mammal sighed heavily. "Yeah…"_


	31. Undercover Part Three

**_Hello Readers,_**

 ** _Here's another exciting chapter of A Weasel's Watch! Criticism always welcome._**

 ** _-CG_**

* * *

 _Reggie was not in the best of moods. He had been awoken early by one of his cell phones going off. More than one because the mustela now had two as Kedi had decided to get the young mammal a burner phone when he needed to get in contact with the Weasel. It had been over a month now into his undercover work, yet still Reggie didn't feel like he was making any form of headway. All the jobs that the Bobcat kept putting on the Weasel were simple muscle jobs. Scare a mammal, make sure they pay, and the job was done. Thankfully Reggie hadn't been forced into doing irreparable damage, but this fact didn't help with the mustela's sleep. His conscious weighed heavy and adding to his cycle of nightmares were new sounds of crying lapines and shrill cries from Capybaras. The young mammal had only averaged a little over three hours of sleep the past two weeks. Reggie was used to lack of sleep, but even this wasn't normal. Sadly he had no time to recover as Ivan had called him and told him to stay away from the club for two days, and then he was expected to arrive before nine. The Weasel had grumbled a response before ending the call and tried to once again sleep, but to no avail. That's why Reggie found himself in a Snarlbucks several blocks away from his apartment and drinking a subpar drink that tasted burnt. The mustela's gaze fell on the female Stoat who had made his drink looked bored. His pitiful try at conversation with her was met with stony silence._

 _"Fancy meeting you here," said a familiar voice._

 _Reggie didn't have to glance to recognize Cherry's voice. The Vixen had become a regular fixture in Reggie's undercover life after that fateful storm. She would come by every now and then with information for the Weasel, no longer did he have to pay. The young mammal assumed this was her way of paying him back for the hospitality, but she never mentioned it so neither did he. Reggie still continued to stare at the Stoat, almost hoping she would turn into a familiar face that the mustela didn't realize he would miss so much. He often wondered how Sheri was doing. He also wondered about how his family and co-workers, but found more of his daydreaming taken up by a pair of brown, bandit eyes. Reggie wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the only way he had been able to sleep was imagining the Raccoon._

 _"Hellooo? Earth to Ex, anyone there?"_

 _At first the thoughts were platonic, imagining her working with her deft skill that the Weasel had seen firstpawed. It later grew to her off time and where he thought she lived. He couldn't imagine the district, but he could see with his mind's eye her curled up on a love seat with a paperback Sci-fi novel and a crackling fire close by. That daydream was quickly replaced by thoughts of their last encounter. Reggie had been so close to Sheri. So close that he could almost taste her, and that is what the young mammal now dreamed of. To taste the Barista's lips, to hold her tight to him and never let go. Reggie wasn't sure where these feelings had come from, but when he dreamed they felt too pleasant to give up._

 _"Seriously you're starting to freak me out."_

 _While the dreams always felt good, Reggie also felt guilty over these thoughts. He had two specific dilemmas that simply added to his heavy conscious. One was that Sheri was friendly to all of her customers, why would he have been any different? He had secretly hoped that the Raccoon smiled differently for the mustela, but there was no proof of that. For all Reggie knew, she could have simply put up with the Weasel, humor him in his attempts to be social. In Reggie's limited knowledge of dating, she didn't seem interested in him. For all he knew, she could hate Weasels! The second point that drilled home the guilt was the thought of Crystal. The last time he had felt interest in a female she had died in his arms because of the young mammal's lack of foresight. If his feelings were developing for the Raccoon as they had for the Ferret, than the best thing for Reggie and Sheri was for him to never pursue. Still the dreams were too good and the hope was too important to remove entirely. It then begged Reggie to ask his most difficult question, what was he to do?_

 _"Hey!" exclaimed an exasperated voice as a russet colored paw came into Reggie's vision and snapped its digits. The Weasel blinked several times in confusion before slowly turning to face the mammal sitting across from him. His shock at her outfit caused him to blink some more. Reggie had only seen the Fox in sequin, glitter and more sequins, so to see the same vixen sitting across from him in grey sweatpants and white t-shirt with a fluffy blue coat left him flummoxed._

 _Cherry seemed to pick up on the Weasel's confusion and smirked. "A girl can't look like she's about to party everyday ex." The female then tapped on the lid drink in Reggie's paws. "What's this and why does it smell so good."_

 _The mustela looked down at the cup and frowned. "It's what they call a 'Dirty Chai.' A mixture of Chai tea, almond milk and two espresso shots," the Weasel then looked at the vixen with a serious expression, "I wouldn't recommend it from here."_

 _Cherry nodded in understanding with a small frown before a smug grin appeared. "Now I see why you didn't want to sleep with me..." Reggie cocked his head in confusion. "Your type seems to be on the...leaner scale..." The working girl then nodded in the direction of the Stoat barista._

 _"I have no interest in her, just as I have no interest in you or any of the other girls."_

 _"Really," the vixen started in mock confusion, "then why else was the upstanding Ex licking his lips at another mammal?"_

 _Reggie panicked and brought his paw up to his lips, only to find them dry. He glared at the now laughing Fox. Eventually the Weasel gave in with a sigh, "If you must know...I was thinking of another barista..."_

 _"Really? Daydreaming about a better beverage?"_

 _"Something like that..." muttered the mustela as he brought his drink up to his lips. Reggie forced the liquid down and tried not to gag. How someone could burn liquid he wasn't sure, but he was sure he wouldn't be coming back to this location. The silence that settled between the two mammals led Reggie's mind to wander once more. Back to his mission, back to his family, and eventually back to Sheri. "Have you ever been in love?" asked Reggie without thinking. He closed his eyes and grimaced, waiting for the rebuff from the sharp tongued vixen._

 _"Once," Cherry replied softly, "when I was young."_

 _The young mammal opened his eyes and saw a different Fox sitting in front of him. No longer was the confident streetwalker who enjoyed poking fun of the Weasel. The Fox in front of him, with deep blue eyes looked so much younger and so hurt as well. That lasted until she gave herself a shake and the confident smile was back._

 _"She must be some Weasel to keep you on the straight and narrow."_

 _Cherry was diverting from herself and Reggie knew this. Deciding to humor her, the Weasel answered her question truthfully. "She's not a Weasel." If the vixen had been stunned by his words, she didn't show it. Instead of continuing this conversation though, Reggie got to the matter at hand. "Why are you here and what do you want?"_

 _The Fox huffed indignantly and crossed her arms. "One, I wasn't looking for you when I came in here. Two it's to let you know that I have some more info on what's happening around here and three," this time the vixen leaned forward and pouted lips took the place of any irritation, "it's going to be cold tonight and I was wondering..."_

 _She trailed off, but Reggie got the message. This time he huffed. "I'll keep the door unlocked but," Reggie raised a digit and pointed at the vixen, "you three need to bring your own towels. Some of mine still haven't dried yet."_

 _"Yes!" Cherry shouted in mock triumphant, a closed paw rising victoriously, "it's gonna be like a slumber partyyy!"_

 _Reggie covered his eyes with a paw and groaned. He then peaked behind between his digits to look at the rest of the mammals in the store. All eyes were on the duo. The Weasel snarled and stood on his seat. "What's everyone one looking at?" The offending mammals quickly diverted their gazes. The mustela sighed and looked down at the cup still in his paw. "Definitely not coming back here..."_

* * *

 _Reggie was sitting at the bar in the "Cat's Meow" surrounded by mammals who would have looked like they just walked out of a line up, four other mammals that Reggie hadn't seen before. To his left sat a red wolf, a wolverine, and a well bundled up dik-dik. Annoyingly to Reggie's right sat a completely white Mink with red eyes who just wouldn't stop trying to make conversation._

 _"Look all I'm saying is for someone who didn't live in the cold, your coats coming in great." Said the Mink whose name was Eddie._

 _The Mink for some reason thought that Reggie would want to converse, while the Weasel wanted the exact opposite. To Eddie's point, yes the Weasel was much whiter than when he began undercover. Unlike Mary, whose coat was coming in streaks because of her lack of living in the cold climate, Reggie's was moving at its natural rate. His face was completely white and it traveled until it reached his shoulders. His paws were white as well, with those streaks making it slightly past his elbows and knees. Eddie seemed to be similar in age to Reggie, but the pure white mammal was slightly larger than his brown striped counterpart._

 _"Will you shut up already," chimed in a gruff, feminine voice, "you've been talking non-stop and he hasn't answered you yet." The voice had come from the wolverine was a female. Reggie was able to hide his surprise the first time she spoke. The dik-dik hadn't spoken at all, but Reggie was close enough to hear the chattering of the herbivore's teeth. The wolf hadn't spoke either, but unlike the dik-dik simply was trying to keep warm, the lupine looked sullen._

 _The Weasel's were interrupted by the sound of a door opening and closing, and boisterous laughter that Reggie could only assume was coming from Ivan. All the mammals at the bar turned around, and the young mammal was surprised to see two others with Kedi and Ivan. One mammal was the Pika, Herbert from his first visit. Why an accountant needed to be present, Reggie had no idea. The second mammal was a Pangolin that Reggie recognized as Ikan Skaal. Unlike his counterparts, Skaal never led a crew or was the head of anything. In fact his psychological profile read closer to a "Yes Mam" than a cold hearted thug, but cold hearted he was. While Ivan and Kedi had suspected assaults and breaking and entering, Ikan was suspected of plain old murder. As the small mammal walked closer to the seated group, Reggie could see why. Skaal's gaze shifted between all the mammals in front of him while his paws were loosely grasped and his claws jittered. The few seconds that the two smaller mammals made eye contact revealed to the Weasel an all too familiar look of madness. The mustela had considered the possibility of fighting any of the trio, but up until this moment he didn't consider Skaal a threat. Shoulders hunched and leaning forward the Pangolin looked smaller than Reggie, but if there was question who the deadliest mammal out of the four mammals, there wasn't any longer._

 _"Welcome Gentlemammals..." started Kedi with a small smirk. He then turned his eyes to Reggie's right, "...and madam." The Bobcat winked, and the Weasel heard the unexpected titter from what he could only assume was the Wolverine. "Now you may all be wondering why your here. It's a business proposal." The feline gracefully moved forward, paws spread wide. "You were all chosen to be a part of a quick transaction, involving some rather expensive jewelry. Our normal procurer has been...let's say tied up at the moment."_

 _The pause from the Bobcat was hard to miss, and Reggie had a sinking feeling about the earlier "procurer." He hoped he wasn't right about that mammal in question being Meocam, but the Weasel had no way to prove or disprove this idea. The young mammal hoped that Blackpaw and Zirafa had cracked the Marbled Cat._

 _"Xander, you alright?" asked the feline staring intently at the Weasel._

 _Reggie realized he had zoned out, and didn't have the slightest clue what the Big Cat had said. The Weasel nodded, "Perfectly fine."_

 _"So..." started the Bobcat, fanning himself with a file that hadn't been there before, "What's your assignment for this job?"_

 _The Weasel stiffened. He definitely didn't hear that. "Ok," Reggie quickly mused, "there are five of us; it's a robbery of a jewelry store. That usually means driver, muscle, security and bag mammal. The Wolf looks like muscle, but he could be the driver. The Wolverine looks closer to the muscle with her build. The dik-dik isn't used to the cold, so he must be an outsider brought in for a specialty. That means..."_

 _"Tick tock Xander, what's it gonna b-"_

 _"Bag mammal!" Reggie exclaimed. He had shouted louder than he meant too and had taken the feline by surprise. "Me and Eddie must be the bag mammals, which mean you're expecting a big load for two baggers."_

 _Kedi beamed, "Well Xander, looks like there's more than meets the eye with you." Reggie couldn't suppress a small smile from the compliment. "Don't let it go to your head though since we need all of you to know the plan."_

 _The rest of the day was going over the blueprints Skaal was able to get a hold of and all of their respective positions. Reggie was sure Blackpaw could make use of this._

* * *

 _The robbery wasn't going as planned. Reggie was sprinting down the sidewalk away with Eddie just behind him. They both had small mammal sized duffle bags on their backs as both mustelas reached an intersection. Reggie went right, only for the Mink to bump into him and almost knock the Weasel over. "Damnitt Ed, split up doesn't mean follow!" The Weasel growled out in frustration, pushing the Mink left as he continued right. The week of planning and going over contingencies was a complete waste. Instead of an elderly Mountain goat, the security guard was a much younger Bull Moose. Instead of a decade out of date security system, the jeweler had updated to the newest Takahashi 4K. Finally to add to the dilemma, the car stalled and the red wolf fled the scene. With the dik-dik safely away from the action, the lupine in the wind, and the wolverine losing to the moose, Reggie and Eddie did the only sensible thing possible, grabbed as much as possible and ran. Neither of their bags were filled to capacity, but both were at the halfway mark._

 _The Weasel heard the faint sound of sirens closing in and cursed Blackpaw for convincing Reggie to go through with the robbery. The Mountain Lion figured that this would help the Z.P.D. track the flow of money into and out of the "Cat's Meow." Reggie argued against this, since it was jewelry, not actual cash, but the detective overruled him and told the Weasel the Chief's orders were to do whatever to find out who was behind the guns. This led Reggie to his current predicament of being chased by fellow officers, hot on his trail._

 _A cruiser pulled up behind the Weasel, and Reggie darted into an alleyway. The young mammal recognized his mistake as a snow covered chain link fence cut the alley in half. "Come on, Really!?" Reggie exclaimed as he ran towards the newest obstacle. He could hear heavy pawsteps not too far behind him as Reggie grasped the links and snarled. He couldn't be caught, but he didn't want to fight a fellow officer either. "Only one thing to do..."_

 _Reggie unhooked the bag and started stuffing it through a hole in the fence. When it seemed to stick the Weasel wiggled his paws between the bag and fence, and planting a hind paw on the fence, used all his strength to bend the thin wire slightly. The duffel bag slipped through. Reggie quickly glanced back to see an irate Polar Bear officer only a few steps away. "This better work!"_

 _The Weasel braced his other hind paw on the fence. Holding his breath, and tucking his tail against his body, Reggie gave a short hop and propelled himself hind paws first through the slightly larger hole. He landed on the bag with a surprised "oomph" just as something heavy slammed into the fence._

 _"This isn't over, Weasel!" Roared the arctic ursine, shaking the fence with his large paws, "I'll get you soon enough!"_

 _Reggie couldn't help but chuckle as he stood up and grabbed the duffle bag. "You're going to have to do better than that coppa!" The young mammal exclaimed, unable to help adding his family's personal vernacular. With his adrenaline running high, the mustela was starting to understand why Duke did this. Smiling, Reggie placed the bag on his back once more. "See you later coppa," the young mammal said chuckling at the comedy of his situation, "maybe next ti-" The mustela stopped his gloating by the mammal standing at the other end of the alley. A uniformed white wolf stood at the mouth of the alleyway. "Of course…" Reggie thought, "stalling for his partner…"_

 _"Look who it is," shouted the Wolf officer, walking calmly towards Reggie, "remember me, roach?"_

 _The Weasel frowned in thought, "Nope."_

 _"Really?" the lupine questioned, "I don't look familiar?"_

 _"Not really."_

 _"What about the 'Cat's Meow'?"_

 _"What about it?"_

 _"Jogging anything in that tiny brain?"_

 _"Still nothing…"_

 _"You broke a glass on my_ _ **FACE**_ _!" The officer growled. "I had to explain why I needed stitches. How do you think that conversation went?" Reggie crossed his arms, "I'm assuming not well?" The officer sneered. "Oh not well at all," the Wolf said stopping only a few feet away, "my C.O. wasn't pleased, but you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"_

 _The Weasel was slightly insulted by the lupine's comment, but he realized that once again the Wolf had been stalling. He didn't have too much time before the Polar Bear would be at the other side, and even though he may be able to take them individually, Reggie knew he wouldn't be able to take on two trained officers. Still he needed to ask one question before continued running. "Were the other wolves officers?"_

 _"Hah, why should I answer you?"_

 _"So that's a yes…"_

 _"Shut up, put the bag down and get on the ground." The Wolf was done with the Weasel, and in return Reggie was done with this officer. The young mammal did none of the things ordered, and instead gripped the straps of the bag tighter. "This isn't going to end well for you…and I don't want to hurt you again. So if you could just step aside..." The officer growled, "Not on your life." The young mammal huffed as the wolf slowly went for his tranq pistol. Reggie knew he needed to move quickly if he wanted to escape. He smirked, "Last chance snowflake." A retort was about to escape the lupine's muzzle, but the mustela struck._

 _Reggie rushed forward, keeping his body low to the ground and heading straight towards the wolf. The officer reached for his tranq pistol and drew it, but was too slow. The Weasel ducked between the legs of the Wolf, and with a quick jump and arching of his back, smashed the duffel bag into the groin of the officer. Even Reggie had to admit that this wasn't the noblest plan, but it was definitely effective. The mustela squeezed through the legs of the wolf as he let out a pained yip before falling to his knees with a low groan. The young mammal scurried out of the alley and onto the sidewalk, looking for anyway out of the situation. It came in the form of a mail truck, driving slowly through the snow. The young mammal's enthusiasm was cut short by a tranq dart flying just in front of him._

 _"Serpentine, Serpentine, Serpentine…" Reggie thought as a he zigzagged left and right running after the truck. Another dart just missed him and the young mammal felt something impact the duffel bag. " **SERPENTINE** , **SERPENTINE** , **SERPENTINE**!" He now was yelling as he doubled his efforts to dodge and catch up to the truck. With one final push the mustela jumped and grabbed the handle for the back of the truck. Triumphantly, the Weasel turned around and saw the Polar Bear officer fading in the distance. Laughing, Reggie leaned back to enjoy the ride…_

 _…only for him to feel something prick him through the bag. In his hasty retreat, Reggie had forgotten to remove the still good dart that was sticking out of the duffel. Starting to feel woozy already, the Weasel hooked his arm on the handle and hoped for the best. "Oh ticks…"_

* * *

 _Reggie finally entered the "Cat's Meow." It had been roughly six hours since the heist and the Weasel was exhausted. He had gotten lucky and the duffel bag caught on the step of the truck. The young mammal had awoken an hour later hanging off the bag, dangling way too close to the moving ground for his liking. Once he managed to get himself free, he looked around at his surroundings and recognized nothing. The cell phone in his pocket was a flip phone so no map. Embarrassingly it was two hours before Reggie had any form of direction to where he needed to go. Add in some rude mammals on the street, and dodging every cop in sight, and it was another challenge to find the nearest train station. After all of that though the Weasel was finally able to make his way to the club, jewels still in the bag and police none the wiser._

 _He slipped through the backdoor of the club. It opened up to a small kitchen area only big enough for four medium sized mammals to work in comfortably in. A grill, a walk in fridge and several pantries for ingredients were all that was necessary for the club since there weren't too many customers for food. The kitchen was abandoned, which was surprising as it was getting closer to opening. Reggie trudged forward, but was stopped by a muffled cry. He cocked his head in confusion and listened closely. It was there again and the Weasel followed the sound to the fridge. The young mustela cautiously reached for the handle, and quietly pulled it open. The cries came out clearer._

 _"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please have mercy!" A voice begged. It sounded off, still slightly muffled._

 _"Not for you…" said the more familiar voice of Svinya._

 _Reggie froze. The fridge, the cries, and Ivan being involved pointed to something the Weasel wanted to stay well away from. His training told him to intervene, to help the mammal in danger and arrest the suspect. Common sense told him that if he did do this, than he would find himself tied next to the unfortunate soul. The best thing to do was feel out the situation before acting. The Weasel opened the door more and was greeted by the sight of Eddie tied to a metal chair in the middle of the fridge. Standing next to the Mink was one irate Boar. Slightly off to the side was one grinning Pangolin with his white shirt stained red and sleeves rolled up. The expression on Ivan's face changed to surprised at the sight of the Weasel._

 _"Xander, is that you?"_

 _"Uhh..." started the young mammal hesitantly, "…yeah I just got back."_

 _The Boar laughed and walked over to the smaller mammal. "We thought we lost ya," Ivan said while patting the mustela on the back, "good to see you back in one piece, and hey it looks like you got some jewels too!"_

 _Reggie smiled nervously and shrugged, "I was able to get a few." The Weasel frowned, "Where's everyone else?" The Boar shrugged, "Dunno, you're the only one who made it back on their own. I know Maggie got pick up by the cops, and Richard scattered after the job to who knows where. As you can see," Ivan pointed to the tied mammal, "we found Eddie here without the jewels."_

 _"I swear Ivan, I didn't mean to lose the bag!" exclaimed the bleeding Mink, "buh-but the cops were all over me! I needed to ditch the bag to get away see?"_

 _Eddie's pleas fell on deaf ears and Reggie knew how this conversation was going to end. He needed to intervene. "Hey Eddie…didn't you give me some of what you grabbed before we split? It's a third of my bag I think." There was dead silence, and then Ivan starting laughing. The Boar doubled over in mirth. Eventually Skaal started giggling and Reggie joined in with a nervous chuckle. Eddie remained silent as his remained undecided. Finally the Boar stopped and sighed with a grin, "You're full of surprises Xander, I'll give you that." Reggie only smiled as he tried to keep his cool. "You have no idea Ivan," The Weasel thought to himself as the larger mammal chuckled once more. "So Ivan," started the Pangolin, who still was staying quite close to the beaten mustela, "what are we gonna do with him?" He pointed to Eddie, who started to squirm under the accusing claw._

 _The Brown Boar hummed as he rubbed a hoof on his snout. Finally he sighed, "Xander's taken a liking to him, so just break something and then send him on his way." The larger mammal then grabbed Reggie and pulled him close as they exited the fridge. As soon as the door closed behind them, the Weasel could hear the pleas and cries start up again. "Don't worry Weasel," Ivan started as he let go of the mustela, "Skaal will do as he's told. Eddie won't die…this time…" Reggie internally sighed in relief. There was no way that both mustela's were making it out of that situation unharmed, and while it felt cowardice, if Eddie lived than that was better than both dying. Ivan swung the door to the kitchen open, "Boss is out right now, why don't you wait in his office and I'll let you know your there." Reggie nodded and walked the familiar route to Kedi's office._

* * *

 _The Weasel had been waiting in the office for some time now, growing more impatient as the minutes passed by. It felt like an eternity in the cramped office space. As Reggie paced back and forth, a thought occurred to him. "I'm in Kedi's office alone as an undercover officer, and all I'm doing is pacing?" With that the young mammal was moving about in a flash. Checking drawers and seeing which ones were locked and unlocked. There wasn't too much to go off of. Sure there was Kedi's records book that Reggie snapped several pictures of with his phone. A couple numbers were written down on napkins, but with no names it was hard to determine who or what they were for. The mustela took pictures of them and decided to give them to Blackpaw to look through._

 _One piece of paper did catch his eye. In one of the top drawers of the Bobcat's personal desk there was a paper that seemed to have a form of code on it. There were numerical values into the thousands lined up with different initials. The initial "J.M." had the highest number next to it. On the bottom of the paper was a company name, Rhino Hide Inc. with an arrow pointing towards another set of initials, "R.F.R." The last set seemed familiar to the young mammal, but he couldn't figure out why. What also confused the Weasel was unlike the other papers that had the obvious smell of feline on it; this one had Himil's scent all over it. The handwriting didn't match the other notes of Kedi's either. While the Bobcat wrote in a sloppy fashion, this one was written neatly and with purpose. It was another mystery that needed solving and He snapped another photo._

 _Reggie heard the door handle jingle, and just had enough time to shove the drawer closed and leap over the desk as a mammal swung it open. The Bobcat stepped into the office with the Pika close by. The Weasel folded his arms in annoyance and huffed slightly. "I've been here awhile boss, and I don't like that." The feline's brow rose, "Oh?" The young mammal gave a curt nod, "Ivan put me in here as soon as I got back," he let his arms fall and placed his paws on his hips, "if I would have know how long you would have been gone, I would have gotten a drink."_

 _Kedi rolled his eyes, "I told that foolish boar to let whoever comes in to head out." He looked down at the smallest mammal and muttered, "Help these days…"_

 _Himil's nodded appropriately, "It truly is hard to find good help, however…" the Pika waved to the mustela, "there seems to be someone who is worth it."_

 _The way the rodent was acting compared the first time Reggie met him was night and day. While the first time Himil's seemed nervous, now though he acted with dignity and confidence that the Weasel didn't know he was capable of. What worried Reggie even more was once again he couldn't smell any emotions off of the rodent. He should be able to tell what the Pika had for dinner two nights ago, but once again the smell was blank._

 _Kedi reached into his suit pants and pulled out a large wad of cash. He tossed it lightly to the Weasel who caught it with both paws. "This is your split of the job," the Bobcat began, not even fazed that he just pawed over a roll of cash thicker than Reggie's arm, "they're may be more coming your way since you're the only who did their job correctly." The feline smiled with a look of approval on his face, "Good job Xander."_

 _The praise had Reggie smiling, "Thank you sir!" The Weasel left the two mammals and started the journey back to his apartment._

* * *

 _It had been two weeks since the jewel heist and heat was starting to die down. Since the place was still listed as a safe house for the Z.P.D., Reggie assumed that they wouldn't even bother to look for him there. The week directly after had the young mammal staying in his apartment, with his only company and entertainment coming from the trio of working girls coming in and out of his apartment. Since he always kept his door unlocked for them, there was no need for excuses for any of them. The only rules were no clients, and bring your own towels. Cherry had started stashing towels underneath the bed and on more than one occasion he woke up to red, orange or white surrounding him. Still they never brought work with them. Of course there were several times where either one or all three of them were in rotten moods. Being in the actual business of pleasing mammals had its bad days just like any other. Still they never complained to Reggie about the work, and the Weasel never asked._

 _What had been bothering the young mammal more and more was that every now and then one of them would come in with an injury. A bruised arm here, a bloody lip there, and every now and then a black eye, but none of them would mention what happened. Reggie wasn't a fool and knew their line of work could be dangerous, but he couldn't help but wonder how many of those injuries came from another mammal…_

 _The answer to his question came one quiet night. The mustela had been reading the paper, courtesy of Saffron, when he heard a sharp bleat come from outside. His window was closed and three stories up, any cry like that would have to have been loud. There was a delay between when the Weasel heard the sound and when he reacted, but as soon as his mind caught up he rushed out the door. Wearing nothing but an undershirt and a pair of sleeping shorts, the young mammal rushed down the steps and out into the bitter cold towards the corner where the girls worked. A black SUV drove off and revealed two standing figures and one lying on the ground. As he approached, Reggie saw Cherry and Saffron now kneeling next to a crying Jezebel. The ewe was clutching her arm to her chest as she let out another bleat of pain. "What the rutt happened!?" exclaimed the Weasel, kneeling down to look at the hurting sheep. The right side of her face was swollen. Her wool and dressed were a mess, with it seemed like rips to both. Finally the arm she was clutching to her chest was turned at an awkward angle._

 _"Nothing ex, don't worry about," Cherry tried to assuage, paws coming up defensively in front of her._

 _"This doesn't look like nothing Cherry!" the mustela shouted, fur standing on end, "it looks like someone turned Jezebel into a punching!" His voice grew louder with each word until he was shouting at the top of his voice. A small cry and another bleat caught the Weasel's attention. Jezebel was staring at him wide eyed, trying to backpedal away from the angry mammal. Her own efforts were stopped by her injuries, but Saffron also quickly knelt down and wrapped her arms around the Sheep. The Tiger started purring and rocking the herbivore gently, all while shooting Reggie dirty looks. The young mammal looked away in shame, his rage dissipating with it. This was a time for action, not for anger. He sighed and returned his gaze to the two embracing mammals, "Saff, take Jezebel up and put her in bed, we'll take a look and see if she's going to need a doctor or not."_

 _The Tiger nodded and picked up the Sheep who curled into the feline's chest and continued to sniffle and bleat._

 _Cherry moved to go with them, but Reggie stopped her. "Cherry, wait…" he reached out at first, but quickly drew his paw back. The vixen turned to the Weasel, eyes filled with sorrow. "What…happened…" the young mammal started calmly, taking a step towards the Fox. There was hesitation that the Weasel noticed, and a small flicker of fear in her eyes that told more to the young mammal than any lie she could conjure up. "Cherry," Reggie started evenly, maintaining eye contact with the working girl. He reached out and grabbed one of her paws gently and brought it up between them. "Did Rameo do this?"_

 _The red Fox gritted her teeth, the Weasel could see the lie just on the tip of her tongue to defend her boss, but it never came and instead she nodded her head slowly. "Yes..." responded Cherry, she sniffed as tears started to well up in her eyes, "we…we weren't making our quota out here, an-and I tried to explain that thi-this corner doesn't get much w-work. Bu-but he wouldn't listen and he grabbed Jezz and oh ex!" The emotions were too much for the vixen as she fell to her knees in the snow, her paw breaking free of Reggie's loose hold and both coming up to cover her eye, her tail wrapping around her._

 _The Weasel reached out once more, placing a paw on the Fox's shoulder. "Hey Cherry," Reggie started softly, drawing the attention of the sobbing vixen. Her paws fell away from her face as she looked at the Weasel with bloodshot eyes. "I'm going to want you to set up a meeting with Rameo for me." She went to protest, but the young mammal cut, "Don't worry about me Cherry." He patted her shoulder, and then offered her a paw to stand. She accepted it without protest and rose. Reggie held onto her paw as he guided towards the apartment building. "Don't you worry about me at all."_

* * *

Reggie couldn't stop himself, and decided to gloat a bit. "What's the matter Ivan, did you get beat by a little Weasel?" He tried to chuckle, but the pain in his chest only allowed him to grin victoriously. In front of the still captive mustela was Svinya, doubled over and breathing heavily. Of course Reggie wasn't in much better shape. He couldn't see out of his left eye from what he hoped was only swelling. Every breath he drew in felt like a knife was being stuck between his ribs. The young mammal was a doctor, that was closer to Mary's profession, but he would have to say that at least one of his ribs was broken. Still he was alive and hadn't broken yet, so small miracles.

"Shu…huh...up…" is all Ivan could muster as he gulped down deep breaths. The Weasel smiled a crooked smile, but decided not to comment. Skaal walked over from where he was sitting to Ivan. "Hey Ivan, why don't you let me have a crack at him." The Brown Boar nodded and slowly made his way over to the corner table. The Pangolin approached the Weasel.

"Amateur hour's over I see?" Reggie couldn't help but remark. The Weasel knew that the stakes were just rose.

"Hehe, yeah…" responded Skaal. The grey scaled mammal dragged a claw down Reggie's arm, stopping right on top of the Weasel's paw. "Hey Xander?"

"Yes, Ikan?"

"I never liked you."

Reggie chuckled dryly before it ended in a coughing fit. Once the coughing subsided and the pain died down, the young mammal responded. "I never liked you either."

"Good," Ikan sighed with a smile. He grabbed one of the mustela's digits on his left paw. "Now," started the scaled mammal, bending the digit back unnaturally, "who's your boss?"

Reggie smiled, shook his head, and responded with the first quip that came to mind. "Your mother."


	32. Undercover Part Four

_The plan was set and all the pieces in place. Reggie was waiting quietly behind a trashcan in an alley well away from his apartment. The area was used by some of Rameo's other girls, and not too far away was a rundown house that all of them shared...all twenty three of them. The Weasel gripped the pipe in his paw tighter and bit down on a building snarl. When Reggie had found out that lovely fact, the unanswered questions about why Cherry, Saffron and Jezebel were so thankful for letting them use his place were answered. It was an honest to goodness dump that violated so many different health and safety protocols that the young mammals head spun. The walls were moldy and filled with holes. The single bedroom only had mattresses strewn about, and same with what should have been the living room and dining room. The kitchen and the bathroom were terrible beyond words. Cherry had told them that there had been times when the girls had all tried to keep a cleaning schedule, but the job and Rameo's quotas always got in the way._

 _He had been standing in the cold for over an hour now, shifting from one hind paw to the next in order to keep his body moving. Unlike like nights before, there was no snow falling and the wind wasn't blowing. It was a silent night with streets abandoned because of the late hour. Thankfully his winter coat was pretty much grown in by this point and the clothing he was wearing was helping fight off the cold._

 _What Reggie had planned needed everything to be considered and controlled. At the end of it all Rameo had to understand that he had lost and the Weasel wasn't someone to mess with. That's where his attire for the night had come in. Instead of the normal slacks and t-shirt hidden underneath a hoodie, the young mammal was wearing a fresh black and white pinstriped suit with vertical lines and a black button down visible underneath. No neckwear was necessary as this would be a dirty affair. He also wore a black dyed wool overcoat and a black wide brimmed fedora to complete the look. It had taken close to half of the wad of cash Kedi had given to him, but in the end it was worth it. When Reggie looked in the tailor's mirror for the first time wearing his suit, he couldn't help but grimace at how much he looked like his father. Still, tonight was a night of action and looking like "Mad Rick" could only help._

 _A Black SUV finally pulled up to the Weasel's side of the alley. The engine stayed on as the drivers door opened. Reggie could hear the heavy steps of who he knew to be the approaching Ram. The young mammal gained his first view of the target, a large white woolen, and black faced ram with horns protruding from each side of his head that spiraled outwards. He wore what looked like to Reggie a white wool jacket, possibly from his own wool, with a sky blue tracksuit underneath. A large gold chain with the letter "R" shone off the limited light sources of the night._

 _"Can-dy!" The Ram shouted, "where you at?" It had been agreed that another girl who worked in this area would call Rameo, since if Cherry or the others called it would have been suspicious. The story was simply a client wasn't willing to pay, and she had followed him to this alley. Rameo was none the wiser._

 _Reggie crouched down silently, allowing his overcoat to allow him to blend into the shadows as the Ram stepped further into the alleyway._

 _"Girl you better show yourself before I get mad!" The Ram bleated, already seeming to be angry. Another step and he was before the trash can._

 _The mustela knew to be patient, not only in experience but his own instincts were telling him to wait. Surprise was the key._

 _"That's it bitch, when I find you, you ain't gonna like it!"_

 _Rameo started to trudge forward, past the trash can. Reggie silently moved to the other side, out of sight of the Ram. With steps muffled by the longer fur on his hind paws, the Weasel crept up behind the sheep. Once in striking distance, young mammal slipped the pipe hidden up his sleeve out and gripped it firmly with his right paw. There was a second, where the world seemed to still and hesitation caused Reggie to hold, but it only lasted that second. The mustela using his natural quickness whacked the pipe into the side of Rameo's right knee before hopping over to his left. Digging his hind paws into the snow and gripping it with two paws, Reggie twisted his hips and smashed the pipe into the side of the left knee. The sound of something cracking could be felt by the mustela as soon as he made contact._

 _Rameo gave a surprised bleat with the first hit, but a much deeper and paint filled cry with the second. The Ram collapsed to his paws and knees. The sheep swept a paw backwards at where Reggie had been, but the Weasel counting on this well out of range. "What the_ ** _RUTT,"_** _Rameo exclaimed, not back to balancing on his paws._

 _Reggie simply walked towards the front of Rameo, out of the Ram's striking distance, with the pipe resting on his shoulder. "Hello Rameo," started the Weasel in a polite tone, "my name is Xander Claws and we have some business to discuss."_

 _"Are you the John that didn't pay?" Spat out the herbivore._

 _The young mammal chuckled, "There was no John, just me and my trusty friends." The mustela gave the pipe a slow swing in front of the snout of the downed mammal. He then planted the end of the object into the ground with force, leaning onto it as a cane. "I wanted to tell you this news face to face," the mustela continued playfully, "your girls, are now my girls."_

 _The Ram snorted, "Yeah right! They belong to me and that isn't going to change."_

 _Reggie couldn't stop a maniacal grin appearing, "That's where your wrong Rameo. You see I made a deal with all of them, and they agreed to my deal. So your agreement with them is null and therefore they are mine." The Ram was about to speak again when Reggie whistled and brought a paw up to amplify his voice. "Oh Ladies!' He shouted._

 _On cue all of them came from both sides of the alleyway. All twenty three of them. A third of them were sheep, but different species filled the rest with Saffron being the largest species and an Arctic vixen being the smallest. They ranged in age from between thirty five to as young as fifteen. The Weasel had bristled at that last number, but still he would only act if they all agreed. Agree they did._

 _"Ladies it's so wonderful to see you tonight." Reggie started with a dramatic flair, turning toward all gesturing openly to all. He had to look and act the part of a Pimp, but also show a ruthlessness that would stop retaliation. From the crowd emerged Cherry, the one who gathered the girls and communicated with them. It was she who showed the Weasel how bad it truly was and not just for Rameo's girls. Rampant drug abuse, underage prostitution, violence inflicted on them, it was the stories that finally gave the young mammal the drive to "take over."_

 _The Vixen walked up next to Reggie and draped an arm around his shoulders. She started to purr loud enough for Rameo to hear. The sensation and closeness of the Fox was slightly discomforting to the mustela, but he hid it in front of the Ram._

 _Rameo's expression changed to from anger and surprise to blind rage. "I'll kill you, you little tramp!" The Ram bellowed. He started dragging his way closer to Cherry, but his progressed was halted by a quick smack of Reggie's pipe to his elbow. He fell face first into the snow with a bleat._

 _"Big Daddy, I think Rameo's been a baaaaad boy." Cherry stage whispered, mock bleating out "bad."_

 _Reggie stifled a groan in frustration and simply let his smile grow. He told her no annoying nicknames, but apparently she disagreed. "Well then, let's get our resident specialist to punish him. Oh Jezebel!" From the back of the crowd moved the injured ewe. The swelling on her face had gone down, but her arm was still in a sling. The expression she wore was what Reggie was feeling, grim determination. "Yes Big Daddy?" The young mammal's eyes widened slightly, and he could see a shudder go through the ewe's body which he assumed was from holding back laughter. "Cherry told me Rameo has been bad ram. More specifically bad to you and the rest of the girls. I think it's time for you to punish him." The Weasel held out his pipe to Jezebel._

 _She walked over and gripped it with her good arm. Rameo was saying something, mercy or curses it didn't matter to the mustela. Jezebel raised the pipe above her head, positioning to strike. "Wait!" called out Reggie, raising a paw to halt the ewe. She frowned but listened._

 _"I don't think this is fair..." started the Weasel as he walked closer the downed Ram, who only glared at the mustela. "You're injured, and no one else would get a turn." The final part was said as Reggie stared into Rameo's eyes. The horizontal slits quivering at the suggestion. "Girls...did you all bring toys with you?" Reggie could hear laughter, hooting and several bleats at his question. This was the final act of their little drama, if Rameo was going down than all would be involved. "Well then," the mustela continued, seeing his crazed expression reflected back at him in Rameo's eyes. Reggie grabbed the Ram by the snout and dug his claws into the black face of the herbivore. "I guess...fair is fair..."_

* * *

 _"Xander," begun Kedi looking at him from behind his desk, "I've heard rumors that you've branched out."_

 _Reggie knew the Bobcat would find out, and actually pushed for Cherry to have the girls talk about it. With Rameo in a body cast for the next several months, it would only make sense that mammals would start to wonder what happened. Thankfully with the Ram's snout wired shut, he hadn't been able to get his view of events out which meant that the girls gave all the credit of the beating to "Xander." Better for a pimp to seem strong to outsiders than to seem weak and have his girls picked on. At least that's what Cherry had said. "Yes sir, I took over Rameo's operation."_

 _The feline apparently didn't expect that level of honesty from the Weasel. "Why?"_

 _"Because he deserved every broken bone for each one he inflicted on them..." Reggie bitterly thought._

 _"I was tired of paying for their services," the young mammal responded with practiced ease, "better for me to get it for free than pay at all." This was the reason that Cherry and Reggie had decided. Everything about "Xander" taking over was a show, and they feared the reprisal if others found out. So they came up with a story, and added some sensuous examples to make it stick. The vixen had teased Reggie about making some of them true, and each time the Weasel simply glared at the always joking Fox._

 _Kedi gave a Cheshire grin, "I didn't take you for the type Xander. You never seemed interested in any of the females around here."_

 _"I have a...unique taste," Reggie deflected, "one that only certain females are willing to take part in." This was another answer that was discussed, though Jezebel was more involved in trying to suggest certain fetishes that would explain his reason. She may have only gotten a third of the way through the list before Reggie had enough and decided to keep it vague._

 _The Bobcat hummed a response and leaned back in his chair. "I trust your judgment and loyalty Xander, so if this keeps you occupied when you're not here then by all means."_

 _Reggie balked at the sincerity in the Cat's words, but eventually recovered. "Thank you, sir." Several seconds of silence filled the air as nothing was said between the two mammals. Eventually the feline opened up a desk drawer and pulled a manila folder out. He tossed it lightly onto the desk and it slid towards the Weasel. "Another friend of mine needs a talking too..." The young mammal opened the folder. Inside were pictures of a Clydesdale with brown fur and a white mane. The pictures featured the home of the mammal, as well workplace, comings and goings, what type of car he had and also where his parents lived. This was the first time that the Big Cat had ever given him a folder with this much information._

 _"...tell him that to do as he's told..."_

* * *

 _Reggie couldn't believe it. His undercover work was finally over and it was first day back to work at Precinct One! They had arrested Kedi and all his cohorts and caught them red-pawed. It was only a matter of time before the Bobcat broke and told the Z.P.D. who was his boss. Dressed in his uniform, the Weasel walked briskly towards a familiar Snarlbucks in the hopes of seeing Sheri again. A smile lit up his muzzle as he swung the door open effortlessly..._

 _...only to be met with sight of blood. There were splatters of red on the walls, floor and counter. Tables had been broken and chairs overturned. The young officer stepped cautiously forward. A snowshoe lay to his left, her eyes open and unseeing. To his right lay a broken white Wolf, limbs bent in unnatural ways. A Clydesdale's body bent over a broken table with a jagged piece of wood sticking out of his back. There were countless dead figures surrounding him, all worse than the first. Reggie heard the swinging doors open and the mustela's gaze snapped to the sound. He sighed in relief at seeing an unharmed Raccoon before him._

 _Reggie rushed over to Sheri and quickly grasped her shoulders. "What happened here Sheri?" He asked calmly, trying to keep his fear in check. The barista didn't respond, but her warm smile transformed into a look of terror and agony. She fell to her knees and out of the Weasel's grip. "Sheri what's-" but the young officer couldn't finish his sentence as he glanced at his paws. They were red and soaked in blood. He looked down at the collapsed mammal to see large gashes on both shoulders. "No..." is all the mustela was able to whisper out as he looked at the bleeding mammal and all he could do was shake uncontrollably. Sheri's mouth hung open in a silent scream as her paws turned upward, seeming to be unable to lift her arms. Her brown eyes bugging out behind her Bandit's mask and her ears laid flat upon her head. Reggie watched in morbid fascination as the Raccoon inhaled deeply. Finally a screech echoed from Sheri's unhinged jaw._

* * *

 _The mustela woke with a start, arms and legs flailing as a screech echoed in his ears. He almost fell off the chair he had fallen asleep on, but reflexes alone saved him a drop to the floor. The screeched died down and Reggie could hear the sound of water being poured. His breathing was shallow and erratic and his heart was pounding so hard he thought it might explode. Reggie let out a strangled gasp as the memory of the dream continued to haunt his mind, bringing both paws in front of him, there was no blood of them. "I haven't killed anyone..." muttered the Weasel. "You know that's not true!" His mind echoed back to him. "There will always be blood on your claws Kiddo..."_

 _The young mammal wiped a shaking paw over the top of his muzzle as he clamped his eyes closed. "It was just a bad dream," Reggie try to assure himself, "you're just stressed that's all...it's almost over..."_

 _"What's almost over?" The unexpected question had the Weasel jumping in surprise, his fur standing on end. "Never seen you do that before," the voice chuckled. Reggie turned slowly to see Cherry standing next to the chair with a mug of what the Weasel could smell was some form of tea._

 _It had been several weeks since putting Rameo in the hospital, and with that came the added responsibility of Reggie looking after the working girls "under him." In practice this meant that Cherry would drive around in an old car she was able to buy and check up on all the girls who were working. For most girls there had been no changes to their routine, but Reggie had made sure that things had changed. For starters all the girls under eighteen would not be working, and instead the Weasel wanted them to enroll in schooling. This had led to the problem of many of them being runaways, and in one case being sold to Rameo to pay off a debt. Saffron had said she would work on a solution to that problem, and let the Tiger figure it out for now. The Weasel didn't want to get Kit Services involved, as it would more than likely reveal his cover, but he also wouldn't stand by as underage females worked the corners!_

 _Another change was a simple, yet he knew still not entirely believed one. Reggie would not be taking any percentage from the working girls. The young mammal recognized how strange this sounded to the veteran prostitutes, and Cherry had told him that they kept expecting that policy to change. Still he was adamant. he made enough from Kedi and didn't need their money as well. To help out even further on this end Reggie forgave and removed all debts that Rameo claimed they had. This culminated in the girls tearing apart the SUV of Rameo's to find his little black book and watching with glee as Reggie burned in front of the semi-conscious face of the ram._

 _"You alright ex?" Cherry asked. Reggie blinked and rubbed his eyes. He had zoned out for some time without responding to the vixen. The young mammal sighed, "I'm fine Cher, just lack of sleep that's all." The vixen hummed in response and Reggie couldn't tell if she believed him or not. "You should take an early night then...I'll call you if I need you."_

 _The Weasel shook his head and looked at the Fox. "If something happens you need me ready and not groggy." Reggie could see how little the vixen believed him, but didn't respond. Instead she placed her drink on the chair and clamored up carefully. "What are you working on?" She asked, pointing to the different papers and pictures eschewed on the desk._

 _Reggie rubbed the sides of his head. Before his impromptu nap, the young mammal had been trying his best to decipher the numbers and acronyms from Kedi's office. He had forwarded the pictures to Blackpaw as well, and asked him to look into Rhino Hide Inc. The Mountain Lion had come up empty on both and suggested that the Weasel simply found some nonsense information, but Reggie wasn't quite sure..._

 _"I'm trying to figure out what these," Reggie began pointing to the two letter acronyms, "have to do with these." He finished his statement by drawing a digit towards the numbers. The young mammal glanced over at the Fox and saw a concentrated expression on the normally relaxed vixen, "This looks familiar..." Reggie looked at Cherry in surprise, "How so?" The vixen bounced a digit on the tip of her muzzle, tea still in paw as her eyes lost focus. In a flash she slammed her paw onto the paper. "Its payments!" exclaimed the Fox triumphantly._

 _There was a pregnant pause before Reggie responded. "Yes...I know..." Cherry's ears drooped slightly and a whispered "oh" left her lips. The young mammal shook his head in frustration. None of this made any sense to him and it was starting to look like Reggie wouldn't be able to figure it out. "Huh..." remarked the Fox next to him. The young mammal attention turned back to her as she once again looked deep in thought. "Another idea?" He poked, only partially serious._

 _"This one," Cherry begun, pointing to one of the acronyms, "is longer than the others."_

 _Reggie frowned. That added to the problem even more as while most of them were two letters, there were a pawful that were three and one that was four just to add to his confusion. "So what about it?"_

 _The Vixen leaned in closer to the page and squinted in concentration. "I think I might know this one." Reggie blinked in surprise, "You do?"_

 _Cherry snatched a pen on the desk and flipped the paper over. She wrote out the acronym from top to bottom F, M, M, and F. With a deft paw she then wrote a word starting with each letter. Finnegan. Michael. McErmin Fourth. Placing the pen down and once again beaming triumphantly, the vixen gave the paper a flourish with her paws. "Ta Da! Finnegan Michael McErmin the Fourth! Known pickpocket, burglar and all around scumbag."_

 _Reggie was still skeptical. He could write out a thousand different names with these letter, but that didn't make it correct. "How can you be so sure it's him? I mean it could also be 'Farmers Meet Married Fields for all you know."_

 _An amused glint entered the blue eyes of the Fox, "Married Fields?" Reggie huffed in annoyance, "...well it could be..." Cherry giggled and pulled the Weasel into a one armed hug, "Oh ex your adorable when you're wrong. I can tell you for a fact that those are Finnegan's initials." The young mammal waved for her to continue. "Old Finny used to be regular of Rameo's working girls until he got a little too...possessive is the best way to put it."_

 _"You're going to have to explain it better than that."_

 _Cherry let go of the mustela and rested her tea onto the desk." Well...Finny had a type...which was young, and I don't mean young like fifteen I mean like YOUNG, young."_

 _"Ew."_

 _The vixen nodded in agreement, "now that isn't a new fantasy that us working girls have to deal with, but the problem is he focused on this one girl a bit too much and he wouldn't let her work other clients."_

 _"How'd he do that?"_

 _"He would follow her around and interrupt other clients, even got physical every now and then. Rameo didn't mind, until he started cutting into the girls profits. Then he finally taught the little Ermine a lesson." At the end of her speech, the vixen was bristling with a hard glint in her eye as her tail whipped behind her._

 _Reggie placed a paw cautiously on the Fox's arm. She glared at him, but didn't pull away. "Was it you?" The glare softened and the vixen nodded curtly. "He monogram's his clothing and has a gold chain with those letters...that's how I know..." Cherry spoke just above a whisper. The Weasel let his paw fall and placed both of them on the desk, staring intently at the written name. There was a brief silence as both were mammals were lost in thought before the young mammal cleared his throat. "Where...uh...can I find this Finny?" He couldn't look at the Fox for fear she would see the violent thoughts that were floating through the mustela's mind when it came to Finnegan._

 _"Oh...um...Oh right! He's locked up."_

 _Reggie deflated, head sinking close to the desk as his eyes closed. Of course his only possible lead would be locked up. "Do you know where?"_

 _"I want to say Precinct Three? Yeah, I think he got picked up for robbing mammals for the jewels."_

 _The Weasel brought his paws up to his face, cupping it as he leaned on his elbows. "Of course he would get picked up for that. Between him, me and Meocam, we could..." Reggie's anguish was derailed by a thought that he hadn't considered. He grabbed the paper and flipped it open, eyes wide as he searched the acronyms until he finally saw what he was looking for. The initials "J.M." had the largest amount next to it, and the Z.P.D. never did find the rest that he had stolen. If he was working for Kedi than that means…"Fleas," Reggie started as he looked over at his confused partner, "it's a goldmine scam."_

* * *

 _"A what?" Blackpaw asked confusion obvious in his voice._

 _"A goldmine scam," Reggie continued, "you steal mammals jewelry, melt it down and sell as either new jewelry or in brick form. It's an older scam that deals more with patience. You find a cheap smelter or melt the metals yourself and you can make a reasonable profit." After Cherry had left to check on the girls who were working tonight, the Weasel had called Blackpaw while still at the desk with the information in front of him. Since updates had been pretty mundane the last month it had been decided that Reggie would only call when necessary. After the revelation that the young mammal had, he believed that this was necessary._

 _"Well Kedi isn't simply stealing mammals gold watches. He's having entire stores robbed if you're correct. How can you account for that?"_

 _"This is just the scam on steroids." Reggie countered, agitation growing in the Weasel's voice, "Instead of going after individual civilians, he's going after the jewelers. Kedi makes a high profit and only hires expendable mammals that have a history of doing this. It makes it look like small timers are simply banding together, but in reality it's all connected!" The young mammal ran a paw over his eyes. He didn't think it would be this difficult to convince Blackpaw about the scam. Considering the fact that for a long period of time that Rick had made a living for his family, it should have been immediately obvious that something like this was going on with the uptick in robberies. Still it seemed that he had found the head of the scam, and that meant the Z.P.D. could shut it down before it got worse. That made what Blackpaw said even worse for the mustela._

 _"This is all just circumstantial Reggie. We don't have enough for a warrant or an arrest and it doesn't explain how Kedi is connected to the guns."_

 _"Didn't you run the initials against those locked up on burglary and robbery charges?"_

 _"Yes, but-"_

 _"And how many were a match?"_

 _The Mountain Lion sighed, "Including Meocam and McErmin, at least twelve other matches were made throughout Zootopia that have been arrested."_

 _"There you go!" exclaimed the Weasel, "there's some proof. We never did find all the jewelry that Meocam stole and this would explain why."_

 _"It doesn't explain the guns."_

 _"Forget the guns!" Reggie shouted into the phone, his fur standing on end as he reached his breaking point. "I've been out here for too long and when I finally find a large scale operation, you just want to turn away from it!? Don't think I'm unaware of the dip in gun involved crimes now. That means there are no new guns coming onto the streets. Which leads me to my next point, why am I still out here!?"_

 _"The Chief-"_

 _"Why don't you put the Chief on the line and_ _ **I'll**_ _talk to him." Anger and desperation laced the Weasel's words. He had done all he could and had uncovered a large scale crime that seemed to affect all of Zootopia, what else did the Mountain Lion want from Reggie?_

 _There was silence from the other end, before the Weasel heard the rustling of paper. "You never did answer my question way back when. What does R.J. stand for?"_

 _Reggie was stunned by the question, his anger and confusion stalling his thinking as he tried to find the words to express himself. "Wha-"_

 _"I did_ _ **so**_ _much digging into your background, just to make sure that there was no connection between you and Kedi. In the end you lied to me and Zirafa," continued the Mountain Lion, seemingly unconcerned by the lack of response from the young mammal, "you said you never killed a mammal, but we both know that's not true." There was the sound of paper being shuffled once more. "On the night of August twelfth, seven years ago, one Crystal Belette met her untimely end at your claws. You were found weeping over her body, her blood all over you, and made an un-coerced exclamation how it was quote 'All my fault' unquote. After some digging around, I found out that the case was thrown out because of some questionable tactics on the part of the detectives, but not on the validity of the case."_

 _As Blackpaw continued, the rage that had bubbled over in the Weasel disappeared. With each new fact from Crystal's case, the lower Reggie sank in his chair. He closed his eyes and ran a paw over them, trying to calm down his beating heart. "I…I didn't kill her." Reggie pleaded pathetically. How many times had other mammals said those words and were always guilty?_

 _"I know," started Blackpaw, surprising Reggie, "the wound in her abdomen is too large to have been created by a Weasel's claw…however that may not be enough to convince some of our co-workers."_

 _The young mammal went through a roller coaster of emotions in those few seconds. Hope rose with the acknowledgement that he couldn't have killed Crystal, only to be completely destroyed at the implication of what the feline was suggesting. "That's…that's…"_

 _"Oh come now, it's not blackmail Reggie. Just an insurance policy that you'll do as your told and bring me hard evidence that Kedi has some involvement with the firearms coming into Zootopia. No big deal."_

 _The Big cat spoke with such assurance that if the Weasel didn't know any better than he would have believed him. Having been inside the club and dealt with the Bobcat first paw, Reggie was under no illusions. It was also possible that Blackpaw was asking the mustela to face the much realer possibility of dying. Instead of hovering around the edges and picking up bits and pieces, the young mammal was being asked to delve in deep and either record or gain some other form of physical evidence. He may as well have been asked to cut off his own right paw. Reggie sighed "It's not that simple Blackpaw."_

 _The Mountain Lion hummed, "Fair enough Reggie, you can come back to work tomorrow if you'd like. Granted I wouldn't expect a warm welcome back. In fact you may come back to a pink slip and an investigation. No matter though! Come on back_ _ **Weaselton**_ _."_

 _Reggie was wide eyed and shaking. He clutched the phone with both paws desperately, as if it may disappear at any moment. "No...I'll do it…and I'll get you the information Blackpaw. Just please…don't tell anyone."_

 _There was a heavy sigh on the other side of the line. "I suppose I can lose the file…just for you. In return you get me the information I need and maybe the file stays missing, understood?"_

 _Reggie hung his head in defeat, "Yes."_

 _"Very good Weaselton, talk to you later." Blackpaw laughed just before hanging up._

 _The Weasel slowly lowered the phone from his head and closed his eyes. This is what it all came down to. His past catching up with his present and destroying his future, it seemed like no matter how much Reggie had changed it didn't matter. The young mammal slipped off the chair and walked towards his bed. Maybe an early night was what the mustela needed._

* * *

 _Reggie received a call late one night from Ivan. The Weasel answered it on the first ring. He hadn't gained any sleep since his talk with Blackpaw and found his nights filled with tossing and turning for hours. The Boar called him to the club with the simple message that there was a problem and the young mammal was needed for it. The mustela threw on whatever clothes he had at paw and headed out the door. He borrowed Cherry's car as all the girls had decided to take the night off and go out for drinks. It was a rusty red two seater with a big trunk that was just slightly too big for Reggie to drive comfortably, but that didn't mean he couldn't._

 _By the time he had arrived at the club, it was well past midnight. Still there was no lines or cars parked about it. The two bouncers who normally worked the door were gone as well. Reggie, worrying about what this meant, headed towards the backdoor. Just like last time the kitchen was deserted. Unlike last time however he was met by several familiar faces. Kedi, Ivan and Ikan were all present. Surprising once again was the fact that Himil's was also there, standing on one of the work counters seeming unperturbed by whatever was going on._

 _"What's up?" asked the Weasel, gaze shifting over all mammals present._

 _"Svinya and Skaal found someone sniffing around the club. We got them in the freezer, however there's a problem." Kedi explained calmly._

 _A brow rose from the mustela, "Problem?"_

 _'It's a girl," exclaimed Skaal, throwing his paws up in the air, "my momma told me not to hurt girls."_

 _That raised so many more questions for the Weasel about the ethical conundrum that seemed to be Ikan, but instead he held his tongue on that matter. "Ok, so why am I here exactly?"_

 _A grin slowly spread on Kedi's muzzle, "Well Ivan or I could have done it, but we thought what a better way for you to show how loyal you are than by you doing it Xander. You're starting to grow quite a reputation for your…handling of females."_

 _Reggie frowned at the Bobcat's implication, but ignored it. This wouldn't be simply scaring a mammal half to death and then leaving them alone. He would need to get his claws dirty to figure out who this intruder works for. The Weasel's thought process came to a grinding halt as he realized he was actually considering torturing a mammal. He was an officer….wasn't he? The sting from Blackpaw's betrayal was still fresh in his mind. It may be possible for the young mammal to inflict enough pain to force a confession without causing permanent harm. Maybe…just maybe the mustela could do this._

 _"Where is she?" asked Reggie, his paw stroking his throat to the tip of his muzzle. Kedi waved behind him towards the walk in fridge. "Your date awaits," the Bobcat commented, not even bothering to hide his amusement over the situation. Reggie walked past the assembled mammals and he felt all eyes upon him. A paw grabbed his arm before he opened the door and he looked to see the long claws of Ikan._

 _"I think this one's gonna be a toughy," the Pangolin said in almost kit like glee, "you may want this." The grey scaled mammal brought out a small firearm._

 _It fit perfectly in the equally small mammal's paw and looked to do the same for Reggie. It was all black, with a grip that looked molded into the gun. The trigger looked to be a third of the size of the magazine and the barrel of the gun barely made up the same ratio for the length of it. The Weasel gently grabbed the metal object from the Pangolin and was amazed by the weight of the item. It felt worlds heavier than the Z.P.D. tranq pistol, and seemed closer in weight to a pipe than the young mammal thought possible. The situation had taken a turn that had taken an unexpected turn. He had never seen any of the mammals around him with a firearm, but then again he had never seen them outside of the club either._

 _"Now fair warning, you're going to need to get nice and close for it to work. It ain't the most accurate thing I've used and it won't go that far in unless you're_ _ **real**_ _close, so don't miss!" Ikan finished his explanation with a giggle and covered his snout with both paws._

 _Reggie held the gun at his side with the barrel down. He had never fired one before, but if it was anything like a tranq pistol when it came to safety, than keeping the barrel well away from anyone he didn't want to shoot was the name of the game. It occurred to the Weasel that now that he had a firearm, he could possibly use it to take out the mammals around him. Just kill them all and be done with this, claim to Blackpaw it was self defense and let the Z.P.D. figure out the rest. As soon as the thought occurred, it was squashed by the hard truth of the matter. He was outnumbered and possibly outgunned. With Skaal this close he would get off maybe a shot or two before he found any of the trio of muscle too close to be effective. There was also the possibility that the bullets wouldn't work well against Ivan and Kedi, it was a small mammal firearm. Reggie inhaled deeply and opened the door to the fridge. The cold air was easily ignored by his winter coat, and the Weasel let the door close behind him._

 _In the middle of the fridge, in a similar position that Eddie had been in not too long ago, was a grey Wolf with black paws and ears. She was wearing a black dress that look like was poured onto the lupine. The she-Wolf was tied to a metal chair with plastic zip ties on her wrists and ankles and a metal muzzle held her jaw shut. The female was unconscious; head slumped to the right as the lights of the fridge flickered._

 _The Weasel approached slowly, trying to run through any idea to get him out of this situation. He couldn't kill her, but it seemed like if he didn't than he would be dead. What was he to do? The lights flickered as the young mammal stood a few feet away from the hostage. She didn't look older than Reggie, in fact if he were to guess she was younger. What he saw of her thighs, that he was willing to glance at, showed the developed muscles of someone who trained hard. Her fur was clean, and other than a now becoming more noticeable bruise just above her left eye she looked in good health._

 _The Wolf stirred, groaning slightly as she shifted in her chair. Her head centered on her shoulders as her facial features contorted in discomfort. The she-Wolf's nose twitched as the lupine audibly sniffed the room. Slowly, her eyes opened revealing a dull amber color. Just before they were completely open the lights flickered once again._

 _Reggie's thinking ran straight into a brick wall at the momentary sight before him. In the brief second that the light flashed, a shadow had been cast over the muzzle, making it look like a mask. More importantly to the Weasel was the fact that it made it look like a Wolf issued Z.P.D. raid mask. In that brief moment, with the lupine's eyes barely open and her black ears starting to rise, she looked like too much like another Wolf with the same color pattern, one that he had to work with before many, many months ago. The Weasel's paws started to shake and his eyes went wide in realization._

 _"Oh Rutt me…"_


	33. Undercover Part Five

**_Hello Readers,_**

 ** _This is the final installment of the Undercover chapters. It will probably be after the holiday season before this story is updated again. Criticism always welcome!_**

 ** _-CG_**

* * *

 _"Howl One?" Reggie whispered in disbelief. He cautiously walked towards the captured lupine. The she-wolf was dressed differently than the last time he saw her, but there didn't seem to be any denying it. To the Weasel, she hadn't been of any note at the Academy. He thought she graduated fourteenth or fifteenth, middle of the pack when it came to their class. She had always stuck around that brown male Wolf, "Howl Two," so much so that it was their closeness that prompted the nicknames. At least that's what Reggie assumed._

 _The Weasel put the gun down on the ground and quickly jerked his head to look at the fridge door behind him. The young mammal sighed in relief when the door seemed to still be tightly shut, he didn't need the mammals waiting outside to see what he was about to do. The mustela grabbed the side of the chair and pulled him up. The cold metal barely phasing Reggie as he carefully maneuvered his way over the Wolf's thigh. Her eyes barely were open, while her nose continued to flare from the deep breaths she was taking. "Hey," started Reggie, poking her lightly in the stomach, "Howl One is that you? It's me Re-"_

 _The young mammal was cut off as the she-Wolf's thighs slammed into both of his side's. Instead of the unsteady gaze from a moment ago, Amber eyes stared at smaller mammal intently and with violence behind them. A faint growl was coming from the lupine, and if she could open her muzzle wider, Reggie was sure he would be face to face with a set of teeth. She leaned forward with her ears pinned back and her hackles raised, still trying to crush the life out of the mustela with simply her legs._

 _"Wait!" Reggie nearly shouted, but the lupine wasn't in the mood for listening. The Weasel snuck an arm out and used it to try and push out of the vice-like grip. Instead it only caused the she-Wolf to tighten her hold and growled louder. In a last ditch effort the young mammal raised his free paw as close as he could to the nose of the Wolf. "Smell!" the Weasel pleaded as it became harder and harder to breathe._

 _At first the lupine didn't seem interested in smelling the mustela, but Reggie saw the flare of her nostrils and felt the breeze of her inhaling deeply. Her expression remained the same, but the pressure started to loosen on the Weasel. Another heavy sniff and the she-Wolf cocked her head in confusion. Her ears came forward and her hackles started to lower and the hold on the Weasel was let go._

 _Reggie needed a moment to catch his breath, and placed his paw to lean on the Wolf's knee, only for the mammal to buck and try to remove it. "Alright, alright," the young mammal started breathlessly, raising his paws in surrender and his body bent slightly from the exertion, "No touching, got it." There was a heavy silence between the two mammals as the only sound was Reggie's haggard breaths. Finally the young mammal straightened up and performed the only act that seemed appropriate. He waved._

 _"Hi uh...Howl One," begun Reggie uncomfortably, "I uh just realized I have no idea what your actual name is...but that doesn't matter right now. Do you remember who I am?"_

 _The she-Wolf looked at the Weasel skeptically, her eyes raking over the smaller mammal. "Mmmhmm mmm?"_

 _"I'm hoping you said Weaselton because, yep that's me." Reggie rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. This is_ _ **not**_ _how he wanted to run into a former classmate. In fact if left up the young mammal, he wouldn't see any of them at all! The Weasel let out a sigh as he ran a paw over his eyes. "Now how am I going to get you out of here?" The mustela started to rub his throat to his muzzle, letting the action calm down his beating heart._

 _"The only way out of here is as a corpse..." Reggie considered as his eyes unfocused. He closed his eyes, thinking of as many possible ways out as he could. There was the obvious, free her and try to fight the mammals on the other side of the door. That led to the same problem that had Reggie walking into the fridge in the first place, no knowledge of what weapons they had on them. Now even more than before the Weasel didn't want to risk the possibility of serious injury to either him or the she-Wolf. If only they could slip out, maybe with a diversion? The thought had Reggie chuckling. How would that even be possible? He couldn't just sneak out and do it. The girls could possibly, but how long until they would be able to get there? "Heh, if only we could walk out of-" Reggie started to mutter before a thought struck him. A very dumb, quite possibly insane, suicidal or both thought, but one that just might get both of the officers out of the club. The young mammal focused back on the Wolf who was watching the mustela. Reggie grimaced, "I have an idea, but it'll involve you being injured. It's the only way I see both of us getting out of this fridge alive. You willing to do as I say?" There was a brief hesitation from the lupine, but only just as she gave a curt nod in agreement. "Ok," Reggie whispered, placing both set of claws on the inside of both of the she-Wolf's inner thighs, "I need you to be as loud as possible."_

* * *

 _For close to an hour Reggie and Howl kept up the charade. The Wolf crying, moaning and making every noise she could vocalize while the Weasel would add some choice words that seemed appropriate. He could say for certain that it was the most he had ever said "Bitch" before. Sadly actual damage needed to be done as well or Kedi wouldn't buy it. The mustela tried to make all his scratches visible, drawing small lines of blood all over the she-Wolf's legs and arms to show some signs of torture. He desperately hoped that none of them would scar, but there was one on her outer left thigh that bled considerably more than expected. Unfortunately Howl couldn't cry on command, so that meant the Weasel had to pull on her ears and flick her nose to get enough rolling down her cheeks to seem realistic. Once the image was complete, and the young mammal used his claws to cut through the plastic ties, the two made their exit in dramatic fashion._

 _Reggie pushed the fridge door open, throwing all of his strength into it and slamming it open. Firearm back in paw and the other planted on the door, he enjoyed the brief look of shock on Kedi's face. "Get out here_ _ **NOW!**_ _" The mustela commanded behind him. He glanced back to see how Howl would appear to the others. She was a wreck._

 _The cuts did their job in allowing slow droplets of blood to flow down and through her fur. It was becoming matted in some areas, and the Weasel tried not to stare at the gash on the Wolf's left leg. The cuts on her arms were much shallower, but still added to the scene. They both agreed that keeping the muzzle on would be the best idea. Add in the rips all around her dress and cheeks wet with tears and Howl looked like a pitiful sight. She stepped forward with a limp. Reggie couldn't tell if her hobble was because of her acting or actual injuries, but the young mammal hoped once more nothing was too badly damaged. With her tail tucked between her legs and ears pinned back, the Wolf whimpered as she inched closer to Reggie._

 _"Hurry it up!" The Weasel shouted, baring his teeth as his tail puffed in agitation. Reggie smashed the handle of the gun into the back of the she-Wolf's knee. With a yelp of pain she collapsed onto her paws and knees. The young mammal slowly strode forward, staying parallel with the quietly sobbing female. Her head hung low and tears were streaming freely. Reggie pressed the barrel of the gun to the side of her head. "Move or die, it's your choice." The words were spoken so calmly that the Weasel could barely believe they left his mouth. Howl's gaze showed true fear, and in the reflection of her eyes Reggie saw his appearance._

 _The she-Wolf's blood was splattered all over his clothing, lines of it crossing over his shirt. The pure white fur of his paws was matted and turned a darkened, rust color. Mentally the young mammal felt calm and collected, more than going in earlier. At that moment, with Howl barely holding herself up surrounded by mammals who wouldn't think twice about putting her out of her misery, Reggie felt he could pull the trigger. He felt like Rick._

 _The young mammal scoffed and pulled the gun away. "Useless," he mutters. The Weasel turned towards the other mammals in the kitchen, all showing different emotions. Kedi looked pleased with a small smirk on his face. Ikan shifted between glee and hesitation, only for his mirth to win out and the Pangolin to start clapping and giggling. Ivan looked shocked. It made sense to the Weasel that the Boar would be shocked. Nowhere in his extensive crime list was there suspected torture. What did surprise the mustela was the look on Himil's face, there was no emotion at all. In fact the calm demeanor of the Pika suggested that this wasn't the rodent's first time with a bloodied mammal._

 _Reggie pointed his free paw at the Boar, "Ivan, get this sorry sack into the trunk of my car." The young mammal grabbed the keys of Cherry's car and tossed it to the larger mammal._

 _Ivan caught the keys. There was a moment of hesitation from the Boar as he wondered to do what he was told._

 _"Why don't you give him a paw Svinya? No harm in helping, correct? The questions came from Himil as the Pika adjusted his glasses as he smiled politely at the Boar._

 _Quickly Ivan collected the lupine and lifted her by her arm. The she-Wolf gave another yelp as she was forced up, but was silenced by another hard pull by the Boar._

 _Reggie focused on Kedi, "I'll take care of dumping her."_

 _The Bobcat's smile grew, "You've done well Xander…did she tell you anything?"_

 _The Weasel shook his head, but smiled and tapped his firearm on his hip. "She will...they always do..." Before more questions could be asked of the young mammal, Reggie turned and headed towards the door. The night was still too young._

* * *

 _Reggie drove for several miles, turning every now and then just to make sure he wasn't being followed, before he pulled over in an empty store parking lot to let Howl out. Ivan had been true to his directions and had stuffed the injured Wolf into the trunk. It was barely enough to for the lupine, but she had managed to curl herself up in the confined space. Seeing the she-Wolf, cut up and shivering from lack of protection from the cold, made the Weasel feel ill. He had thought that all the jobs he had done for Kedi had dulled his senses to violence. Instead all the emotions seemed to have waited till now to make them known. The mustela held out a paw for Howl to help her crawl out of the trunk, more of a gesture considering their size difference. The Wolf reached to take the offered paw, but as soon as she didn't Reggie cringed away._

 _The cuts, many of them had stopped bleeding but were still visible, were caused by the smaller mammal. He had hurt the she-Wolf. He had been willing to kill her. The Weasel's paws went to his abdomen. Something was wrong and Reggie needed to desperately get away. From Howl, from the car, from Tundra Town and Zootopia all the terrible things he did. The young mammal just wanted to run away from all of it and what he had become. He made it several steps before collapsing to his knees. Bracing himself with one paw on the ground and another still clutching his stomach, Reggie felt growing pressure in his throat. Eventually he vomited._

 _The young mammal wasn't sure how long he stayed bent over, dry heaves taking over after the contents of his stomach had been evacuated. A larger paw started to rub his back as the Weasel grimaced and tried to push away the pain._

 _"Weaselton," a timid voice began, "are...are you alright?"_

 _It was a ridiculous question to be asked. Here Reggie was, doubled over as the white snow had been painted with his dinner. Still when the voice had spoken his last name, a name that he only heard from the smug voice of Blackpaw for three months, it was comforting. He wasn't "Xander Claws," he was Reginald C. Weaselton and he needed to start acting like it. "Yeah," Reggie responded hoarsely. The Weasel pushed himself off the ground and steadied his swaying. The paw remained for support and moved to his shoulder. He followed the paw to see the grey Wolf standing behind him. Here she was, wounded by the mammal standing before her, and yet the She-Wolf was comforting the mustela. Reggie sighed and brushed her paw off, "I'm fine Howl."_

 _"_ _It's Beatrice."_

 _"_ _Eh?"_

 _The Wolf giggled and covered her muzzle with a paw, "My name's Beatrice Howlington. How did you not know that?"_

 _The young mustela huffed, but there was a ghost of a smile behind his irritation. "Honestly didn't think about it till two hours ago." Reggie rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "I'm sorry for not learning it earlier and…for everything…" He couldn't look the lupine in the eye as he trailed off._

 _"_ _Sorry?" asked Beatrice, "why should you be sorry?"_

 _Reggie scoffed and waved a paw at her, "All these injuries are because of me." There was a heavy sigh from the other mammal, but the Weasel still couldn't look at her. His stomach churned and the guilt lay heavy upon his shoulders._

 _"_ _Weaselton, you did nothing wrong." Firm paws turned his shoulders gently to face lupine, but still the mustela resisted. "Hey," started Beatrice, a paw lifting Reggie muzzle to force him to look at her, "thank you." The statement shocked the Weasel and his eyes met the Wolf's immediately. "I could have…_ _ **should have**_ _died back there. You saved me, and if that means a scar or two than that's ok. You have no reason to be sorry."_

 _The Weasel pinched his eyes close, tears threatening to escape, and breathed a shaky breath. He quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his paw and cleared his throat. "So uh…why were you sneaking around the club?" He asked, trying to change the subject._

 _"Sneaking?" responded Howlington questioningly, "I wasn't sneaking around the club."_

 _Reggie frowned, "Kedi said they grabbed you around the club."_

 _"Weaselton, they grabbed me outside of my apartment."_

* * *

 _There was a leak in the Precinct Six. That was the only explanation for how Ivan and Ikan knew where to find Howlington. It just lead to the question of who was it and why were they doing it? It also lead to another problem, what was Beatrice going to do? For all purposes she was dead. "Xander Claws" had taken her out onto the ice somewhere and shot her right behind the left ear. He then broke open some of the ice with a hammer and pushed her body underneath. No evidence of the murder and all he needed to do was clean the car. In reality she was now stuck in Reggie's apartment until they could figure out a plan to keep her safe._

 _After helping Beatrice with her wounds, the gash on her leg needing the most amount of attention, the two officers discussed their findings with one another. Blackpaw had given the Weasel enough information to know that somehow guns were coming to Kedi. There was no idea who the supplier was or where they were going once they reached the Bobcat, if they reached him personally. Precinct Six had more information, but not all of it seemed useful. The last the she-Wolf had been told was that some of the guns that officers had confiscated from some low ranking criminals had water damage in the barrel. The thought was that it was dropped in the snow and never cleaned correctly._

 _"I didn't think so though," Beatrice continued, sitting sideways on the desk chair which looked appropriate for her size, "if it had been snow, then how did it get all the way into the barrel?"_

 _"Cleaning it with snow maybe?" added Reggie lying on the bed. He had changed his clothing and did his best to clean off his paws. The Weasel also brushed his tongue in the hopes of removing the remnant bile from his mouth. His phone told him that it was 7:18 in the morning, but the light flurry outside of his window said that the mustela wouldn't be seeing the sun today. The little sleep he was able to catch was slowly fading and his eyes were getting heavier and heavier. There was nothing more that the young mammal wanted than to sleep until the next day, but he also knew as soon as he closed his eyes the nightmares would start. "No I don't think so…" answered the she-Wolf._

 _Reggie sat up before he actually fell asleep. The Weasel looked over to the sitting lupine and the desk behind her. He frowned as a thought occurred. "There's another way to get water into something." The Weasel hopped off the bed and strode over to the desk. He pulled open the bottom drawer revealing all the notes he had looked over before and pulled out a familiar piece of paper. With the success of figuring out the initials, the young mammal had put aside the other tidbit of information he had gained from the Bobcat's office. There had been no information on Rhino Hide and there was no connection to any arrested individuals that fit R.F.R., but what if it wasn't individual? "There's an old smugglers trick my uncle used to tell me about. You know a friend of a friend told him this or that."_

 _"And you believed him?" asked the Wolf, the question loaded with disbelief._

 _"Not in the slightest," remarked Reggie, "I figured that this 'friend' was simply Duke a long time ago. I know he doesn't smuggle anymore, or at least not like this." The mustela motioned for the Wolf to move over and then climbed onto the chair. "Now I found out that these initials are for individuals and so when none came up for R.F.R., I simply assumed the Z.P.D. hadn't caught the mammal yet. What confused me was that it was linked to a company that didn't seem to exist. Now though, I think it was an idea that had been implemented."_

 _"How so?"_

 _"R.F.R. could stand for 'Rainforest River,' something only locals to the district or those in the know call it by. It's officially known as the Zootopian Water Removal Installation. Not a catchy name in my opinion."_

 _"So you mean the sewer?"_

 _"Well not anymore. It used to be attached to the sewer system, but well before we were born they changed it over and now it only deals with runoff water in the city. It starts in Savannah Central and goes underground all the way to Tundra Town. The only district it doesn't hit is the Nocturnal District. Now you may be asking yourself, what's so special about the Rainforest District?"_

 _"Above ground?"_

 _"Close, more like visible and able to be accessed without going underground. What I mean is that there are certain areas that where a mammal could easily come in or out of the water, and even some areas where it's big enough to bring up cargo."_

 _Beatrice looked confused, "So they can get into the Rainforest District, so what? Wouldn't someone notice big crates being dragged up from the water?"_

 _"Unless," begun Reggie, a smirk on his muzzle as it felt like all the pieces were falling into place, "they are being loaded onto truck that happened to be filled with, oh I don't know, bottles of alcohol and kegs of beer?" The Weasel put down the paper and rubbed a paw down his throat to the tip of his muzzle. "This is all speculation, but if I wanted to get something from one district to another, why not put it in a truck that the police will already know contains something full of crates and barrels." Another thought popped into the mustela's mind, "Ticks that's why they are together!"_

 _"Who?"_

 _"Kedi, Ivan and Ikan needed each other to pull this off. Ivan knows the ins and outs of the Canal District. Ikan used to live and work in the Rainforest District and Kedi knows Tundra Town well enough to beat Precinct." The young mammal's gaze snapped to his lupine companion, "Where has most of the firearm incidents started?"_

 _Beatrice frowned in thought, "Well…Sahara Square has definitely had the most incidents, but the first officer was killed in the Meadowlands. There have been several in Savannah Central as well, but not too many. Tundra Town and Rainforest District have picked up. Nocturnal District is hard to judge with all the false reports and the Canals have very little mammals living there to begin with."_

 _Reggie's smirk grew into a full grin. "Perfect. Sahara Square has the most targets to hit because of the casino and Meadowlands is far enough away from the river to draw suspicion. The eventual bleed over from putting guns out on the streets makes sense for the rise in the Rainforest and Tundra Town. I'm guessing that they don't want attention on how their bringing the firearms in. The only problem I have is why? It doesn't make sense to re-introduce guns back into Zootopia when even criminals started to shy away from them. It also doesn't seem to matter_ _ **who**_ _has them, so there's no pred or prey rights groups that would benefit either."_

 _"I wouldn't be so sure, have you been paying attention to politics recently?"_

 _Reggie scoffed, "I have more than enough backstabbing going on here thank you."_

 _Beatrice chuckled, "Well just recently there was a suggestion brought up to the City Council to remove the ban on firearms in the city. It even called for re-arming the Z.P.D. with lethal weapons. No council mammal has sided with the proposal, however…"_

 _"However how long until they are pushed into by scared citizens?" Reggie added_

 _The Wolf nodded gravely, "I've read a couple of opinion pieces where they think it's only a matter of time since the Z.P.D. doesn't seem to be able to stop the crisis." The lupine hugged herself and a small shiver went through her body, "I can't even imagine holding a gun."_

 _"I don't have to imagine…" muttered Reggie as the thought of the small firearm still in Cherry's car sent a sickening sliver in his stomach. He needed to hide it in the apartment somewhere. The Weasel sighed, "One problem at a time. Let's focus on getting you safe."_

 _"Not here?"_

 _Reggie shook his head, "I have another idea that should assure your safety until the Z.P.D. can make their move." He patted the shoulder of the Wolf, having to reach up slightly to do so. "I don't think it'll be too long."_

 _Beatrice wasn't looking at the Weasel, but nodded in agreement. "No contact with family or friends…"_

 _"They could be the leak."_

 _The she-Wolf huffed in annoyance, "I doubt it…but you're right…"_

 _The young mammal smiled apologetically, "Why don't you get some rest, and I'll make a quick call." He then jumped off the chair and headed for the cell phone he left on the bed. The Weasel needed caffeine, and sadly the only place to get it at this hour was that terrible Snarlbucks. He sighed internally as a brief thought fluttered into his head, "I wonder what Sheri is doing right now…"_

* * *

 _"You want me to do_ _ **what!?**_ _" asked Cherry in disbelief. Reggie couldn't blame her. As much as they had gone through in their short period of knowing one another, having the vixen help hide an injured Wolf was a new one. Of course the Weasel hadn't expected the reaction she gave when she first entered the apartment either. He saw as she walked in, a smile in place, until her nose twitched and she smelled the room. Beatrice had been passed out on the bed curled into a defensive ball. The Weasel had gotten lucky and Saffron had left one of her lingerie tops at the apartment. While the piece would have fit snug on a tiger, on a Wolf there was enough give that it acted like a sleeping gown. A small sleeping gown that had Reggie averting his eyes as a blush heated up his cheeks, but a sleeping gown nonetheless._

 _So he could only imagine the surprise of the Fox when the apartment smelled like an unknown Wolf, who happened to be sleeping in lingerie in his bed. The full extent of her disgust was the most confusing aspect of it all. Wasn't she the one who teased him all the time about his unwillingness to engage the working girls in their profession? How many times had she jokingly poked and prodded the Weasel with sexual innuendos simply to get a rise out of him? To say that the young mammal was confused and insulted was not enough, and the fact that he hadn't_ _ **done**_ _anything simply added to his annoyance._

 _"I want you to take Beatrice and hide her with the girls." Reggie repeated again, trying to be as calm as possible. The vixen was not making it easy for the mustela to bear his teeth._

 _"Now you listen to me ex," started Cherry sternly, grabbing him by the arm, "I am not simply going to take care of whatever female waltz's into your life. That's your own problems. And another thing…" The Fox leaned in closer, anger sparkling in her sapphire eyes, "you smell of Wolf and blood and it doesn't take a hawk to notice that your claws are looking a little too red. So you tell me right now what you did or…or…"_

 _Reggie ripped his arm out of her grip. "That's enough!" he growled, teeth bared and fur on end, "you should know me better than to think I did this for fun." The Weasel swiped at the distance between the two mammals and stepped threateningly to the slightly larger mammal. The Fox's eyes went wide and her ears fell. "I am tired of playing games Cherry, so I am going to tell you what you are going to do, understand?!"_

 _Cherry's expression changed slowly. Her eyes became half lidded and her ears rose slightly, but the frown that she wore on her muzzle and her tail flicking agitatedly behind her spoke of her mindset. "Yes boss."_

 _The words stung. Rameo was boss not the Weasel, but with the end of his undercover work looking closer and closer Reggie was willing to burn whatever bridges necessary. "Good…you are going to make sure Beatrice is taken care of. She's injured and she needs to lay low for a couple days. I'll tell you when it's time for her to leave. Another thing is find out if any of the girls know any smugglers in Tundra Town. I want to know of anything coming in from the Rainforest District via the water."_

 _"Is that all?" asked the vixen with a sneer._

 _"No," retorted the Weasel, anger seeping through, "go get her some clothes. She can't walk out in that, now can she?" He walked over to the desk and pulled open the drawer that had his documents in and reached underneath it. The space was large enough that Reggie realized he could hide the money he made from Kedi. He pulled out a thick white letter envelope and flung it towards the vixen. "This should cover everything."_

 _Cherry snatched the thrown envelope with a huff and turned to leave, but she stopped at the open doorway. Her shoulders sagged and her tail fell and a heavy sigh came from the vixen. "Is this how you want it to end ex?"_

 _Is this how Reggie wanted this to end? No, no he did not want it to end at all. He had grown to enjoy the company of the trio of mammals that came through his door. They felt like sisters to him, annoying older sisters that liked to pick on their young sibling, but sisters nonetheless. Still the fact that none of them knew his real name and only knew him by "Xander" told the Weasel that this relationship was never meant to last. They were prostitutes and he was a cop. Those lines of work don't cross well. The young mammal looked away from the Fox. "It has to end Cherry." There was only the sound of the door closing in response._

* * *

 _In less than twenty four hours Cherry had found a place for Beatrice to stay, contacted all the working girls and found out what clients they could talk to_ _ **and**_ _found out that some otter brothers had been hired to drag something from the Canal District to the Rainforest District. How she came to receive the information, the Weasel didn't ask, but what he did do was follow up on his end of the problem. He went to the "Cat's Meow" and started drinking. Since the young mammal was on the payroll, he was let in with no fuss from the bouncers. Whenever he finished a drink, a bartender appeared and filled it back up right away. Reggie didn't pay for any of the drinks and sat in the same corner he had from what felt like an eternity ago. The club wasn't as packed as it had been that first night and the young mammal was paid no mind by any of the patrons. After his third or fourth drink, Reggie asked the bartender a simple question, "When's the next delivery for booze?" The answer was simple enough, tomorrow morning. The Weasel nodded and went back to having a few more glasses of some fancy sounding beer that didn't taste bad. The young mammal stumbled out of the club an hour later, his drink count long forgotten. He hailed a cab and headed back to his apartment._

 _Drunk and undressing, the Weasel called Blackpaw. The phone rung twice before the Mountain Lion picked up. "Reggie! How-" the feline tried to start in a cheerful tone._

 _"Cut the crap Blackpaw, I got the information you're looking for," slurred the mustela, too tired to deal with the normal quips of the detective. "They are moving guns through Rainforest District and into Tundra Town on delivery trucks for the club."_

 _"What's the proof?"_

 _"That I'm talking to you at all you damn flea," snapped Reggie, "do you think I would give you some half assed information after your threat?" The mustela didn't have the proof that the feline wanted, but at the moment he didn't care. Either the young mammal was right and Blackpaw would get all the credit, or he would be wrong and he would be called out of undercover. It seemed like a win both ways to the Weasel._

 _"That's not goo-" began Blackpaw._

 _"How about this Blackpaw, you do your job because I've already done mine." With that Reggie hung up on the detective. He was tired of the Big Cat and all of the double talk the feline gave the Weasel. He was tired of having to be another mammal, and of hurting mammals that didn't deserve it. The young mammal wanted to see his family and sleep in his own bed, and to have his fur back to brown. He wanted so many things, but most of all he wanted a good night's rest. The Weasel crawled into bed, the alcohol adding to the young mammal's weariness. It was only seconds before Reggie was finally asleep._

* * *

 _Reggie was awoken by the sound of his door being smashed open. The Weasel rose with a start, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he tried to jump out of bed. The mustela landed onto all fours and started to rush towards the door, stumbling heavily from the alcohol. Something stung his left shoulder as Reggie fell forward. He glanced over to see a small, blue dart sticking in him._

 _"That wasn't too hard was it Ivan!" giggled the familiar voice of Ikan._

 _"If he hadn't been pounding drinks, than it would have been idiot!" responded Ivan._

 _Reggie struggled to look up as the tranquilizer started to take effect. He saw the hooves of the Brown Boar approach closer. He heard a chuckle from the large mammal. "You messed up big Xander..." The Weasel's vision started to darken as his eyes grew heavy. "…and now you're gonna pay." The last thing that the mustela felt was a large paw picking him up._


	34. Uncovered

**Hello Readers,**

 **I expected this chapter to come out next year, but I was able to get it done earlier than expected. Criticism always welcome!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Reggie slowly regained consciousness. He's not sure when he lost it. It must have been sometime after Ikan dislocated his sixth digit. There was a point where the Pangolin had gotten bored with that tactic and started to put paper thin cuts on his legs. The mustela's body was radiating pain all over. His breathing was haggard and there was no question some of his ribs had been broken. The Weasel's left eye was swollen shut and his right wasn't faring much better. Reggie could taste blood, but wasn't sure if he had simply bitten his tongue or cheeks or had actually lost some teeth. What he did know was that a mixture of drool and blood was dripping from his muzzle.

A clawed paw grabbed Reggie's muzzle. "I know you're awake, Xander. So why don't you open that eye of yours?" The young mammal struggled to open his eye. Slowly the room entered his vision once more. Nothing had changed in the room, except for more blood spatter. The paw belonged to the Ikan who was staring unblinkingly at the mustela. The Pangolin waved happily in the vision of Weasel. "Hey sleepy head, have a good nap?" Reggie tried to remove his muzzle from the grips of the crazed mammal, but Ikan only held on tighter. "No, no, no, Xander," mockingly scolded the scaled mammal, "you're not going anywhere."

"Quit messing with him Ikan and eat your food," the Weasel heard Ivan say, "You can have your fun later."

Ikan huffed, but relented and let Reggie's head fall out of his grip. "Fine Ivan, but aren't you the one who said the boss was gonna be mad if he ain't talking yet?"

Reggie watched the grey mammal walk to a shadowed corner. If the fuzzy memory of the Weasel was correct, there was a table over there. The young mammal couldn't focus at all, and after awhile the only sound he heard was his own ragged breaths. Eventually the mustela faded once again.

* * *

The smell of bleach forced Reggie awake. He tried to desperately move his nose away from it, but the struggle only caused him to start huffing as the scent continued to tickle his senses.

"That's enough Mr. Skaal," commanded a familiar voice, "he's awake."

Reggie turned his head slightly left to get a better view of the mammals in the room, his breathing coming in pained gasps. He saw Ivan and Skaal standing close by, with the Pangolin's claws holding something small and white. Partially in the shadows stood Kedi, a lazy grin on his muzzle as his left paw remained behind his back.

"Xander, I'm glad to see you're awake," said the unseen voice from the shadows, "or should I call you by a different name?"

"Who...?" The mustela tried to question, but his broken ribs not allowing him to breathe deep. It was a struggle just to stay conscious with all the pain reverberating through his body, the young mammal did not have the mental fortitude to guess who the shadowy figure was.

"My apologies, I do prefer the dramatic reveal. Mr. Puankulak, could you move me closer to our guest?" The Bobcat responded in kind and stepped fully into the light. Standing in the feline's right paw was one Herbert Himils. The Pika smiled at the Weasel and adjusted the glasses sitting on his snout. "I know it may come as a shock to you, and it may be cliché, but I am more than willing to answer any questions you have. However," the rodent raised a warning digit, "it will come at the price of you begging me to put you out of your misery, so choose wisely."

The young mammal's head swirled in confusion at the revelation and the willingness for the rodent to answer any questions. The price seemed high, but even the mustela could recognize the dire straights he was in. Reggie was going to die anyway, might as well have some answers. "How's it possible?"

An amused glint came into the Pika's eyes, "Even when faced with death, you still want to know? I truly wish you had joined us whole-heartedly Xander, you would have made an excellent addition." The rodent gave an exasperated sigh and raised his paws up with a shrug, "No matter. To answer how it's possible that I, a well respected accountant, came to become the leader of three less than sophisticated gentlemammals is a long and tiresome story. Instead I will give you a simple overview of events."

"It all started over two decades ago, when I started to become agitated at my position in society. While brilliant enough to balance the numbers mentally for any of the larger businesses in Zootopia, yet I was continually stopped from doing so. It was after this time that a certain event happened, one that changed the way I thought of the city. You and my associates know of this time as 'The Bad Old Days,' but I see it as the first time Zootopia ever showed its true colors.

The violence and bloodshed was terrible, but the economic impact was breathtaking. Just imagine the sight of an entire district up in flames as hundreds of mammals fled. It reminded me so much of the story of Neighro fiddling as Rame burned. All of a sudden small businesses were opening up all over Zootopia, looking for someone to balance their books. Who better than me?

Of course my services weren't free, and I padded my income with what your law abiding mind may call 'Embezzlement.' As I see it, if mammals aren't smart enough to protect their money then it wasn't worth them having. This would happen for many years before another event changed Zootopia. This we all know as The Nighthowler Incident.

It was foolish of Dawn Bellwether to believe that only predators were to fear, but considering her upbringing in the Meadowlands it also made sense. While the city as a whole was trying to tear itself apart, I happened to make the acquaintance of Mr. Puankulak, who was working for an illegal gambling ring at a cleaning operation. It had only taken me several days to figure out that the numbers weren't adding up, and when Kedi was sent to...'deal with me' If you will...well I had a better deal for him."

"He offered to create a business for me," injected the Bobcat with a smile, "the club is my retirement plan."

"Of course that's not all I offered him," continued Himils, "I needed his knowledge of the workings of the criminal element of the city to allow for me to...invest...if you will in different groups and organizations success outside the law. Eventually as my fortune grew, so did another idea.

It's quite ingenious really, we create and corner a specific market and beat down any competition that tries to grow in said market. The problem in the beginning was which market. That solution came thanks to Mr. Puankulak, who has proven himself my equal. Please take a bow sir!"

The feline gave a shallow bow as the other three mammals clapped. Skaal giggled at the antics and Himils added in his own polite laughter.

"Back to the matter at paw, Kedi suggested the firearms market. After the events of the past, the few providers in Zootopia left after the public backlash from all of the gruesome deaths. While it was assumed that the weapons in question would never come back to our fair city, I saw it differently. The events of the Nighthowler incident showed me how easily the public could be persuaded to change if fear was a motivator. I could not, however, target specific mammals but needed **_All_** species to feel unsafe for opinion to turn, and what better ways than to have officers falling as flies. To ensure not only my own sales, but also the deaths of many officers, why not simply suggest a bounty to those less fortunate enough?"

"The Z.P.D. will stop you." Reggie tried to growl, but his chest burned too much so the Weasel had to settle with a pointed glare. His head was starting to swim and the young mammal was losing focus. The smell of bleach filled his nose once more and the mustela gasped.

"Can't have you passing out again. To answer your assumption, the Z.P.D. will not stop me. In fact they will be the ones to help me."

"They would _**never**_ do that! No officer would touch one of those...those...things!?" The Weasel was becoming more agitated and lunged forward, only to be stopped by his restraints, his breathing shallow.

"Of course we both know that's a lie, don't we officer?"

Reggie's blood ran cold and all of his pain temporarily disappeared. He tried his best to hide his shock, but if the grin on Himils snout was anything to go by he had failed.

"What are you talking bout boss?" asked Ivan.

"It's very simple Mr. Svinya; our dear Xander Claws is a plant, by none other than Precinct One. That is why our friend here wouldn't reveal whom he worked for...well that and a misguided sense of loyalty." The Pika waved a paw dramatically at the captured mustela. "Gentlemammals, I present to you one Officer Reginald C. Weaselton. First Weasel of the Z.P.D., valedictorian of his class, but more importantly the only son of the famous Rick Weaselton."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa boss," begun Skaal, obvious excitement in his voice, "are you tellin me I've been scratchin up 'Mad Rick's' kit?" The Pangolin fell into a fit of giggle, "Am I gonna be a legend or what?"

"I am terribly sorry Mr. Skaal, but you know you won't be able to brag about such feat for some time." Himils gave an apologetic smile to the pouting manidae before turning back to the scowling mustela. "As for your unasked question Mr. Weaselton, you're not the only one with informants in the Z.P.D...Granted mine had just recently sent me your information. A mistake I will make sure they do not make again."

"So all the murders and fear are simply so you can sell some guns on the street?!" Reggie barked. The shock of his identity bring revealed wore off and there was no doubt that he would die. Still maybe if he stalled...

The Pika frowned, a paw going to his chin in thought, before he simply shrugged. "The cost of doing business." Himils smiled at the dumbstruck Weasel, "Of course my ultimate goal is to move them off the streets and into the paws of law abiding citizens. I have no want to keep Zootopia in chaos. Who better to purchase my shipments than the city itself?"

"That's what Rhino Hide is then? A shell to sell guns legally?" pressed the young mammal. He felt as though the conversation may end and wanted to buy time, even if it was futile.

Himils laughed into a paw, "So it was you who went through my paperwork? I was sure it was that foolish she-Wolf. Then again she was idiotic enough to contact me... No matter! She is no concern to you...Rhino Hide was a placeholder if you will. My first thought for the name of the company that would legally sell firearms. It never stuck, but I decided to use it in my writings as code for me. Obviously you figured this out and were able to contact your superiors about the route for the weapons."

Reggie chuckled dryly, "Honestly I guessed." He looked straight at the rodent, "Course that means you're not as smart as you think."

The mirth in the Pika simmered, "I expected too much from you it seems." Himils motioned in front of Kedi, and the Bobcat stepped closer to the Weasel. "My apologies Mr. Weaselton, I lied to you." The rodent smiled sadly, "No matter what you chose today, you were going to beg for your life."

"Go rutt yourself," Reggie responded, his anger building, "and while you're at it, go rutt yourself into traffic."

"Such ferocity! I am slightly surprised you have so much energy after Mr. Skaal worked on you. Mr. Skaal, any comments?"

"Hehe, he's a tough Weasel boss. If you would gimme some more time I coulda done it."

Himils sighed, "Sadly we do not have time. My informant tells me that the Z.P.D. is looking for our associate here. We're going to have to disappear for awhile once our job here is taken care of."

Reggie did his best to sneer, "Well what are you waiting for? Better hurry up Himils."

"Patience sir, I need to explain another fact for you to truly understand your predicament. I know who you are and have access to your file. That means I have access to your emergency contact list and their addresses and occupations." Himils smile maliciously, "Don't you wonder why I simply came here once I found out who you are? It's simple my dear **_Reginald_** , I was checking on the information...It's a shame really, Mary looked **_so_** tired after her shift today."

" ** _NO_**!" screamed Reggie once again throwing his suffering body against his restraints, " ** _I'll Kill You_**." The young mammal flailed against his restraints, pushing his abused and overused muscles past his breaking point. Finally with his chest only allowing him to breathe shallow breaths, the mustela stopped moving. He didn't stop with his threats, even as tears ran down his cheek. "I'll kill you," muttered the seething Weasel as he continued to stare daggers into the rodent, "you and everyone around you. I'll kill you, then them. If you touch her I'll kill you..."

"Mr. Weaselton, I don't want you to hurt," the Pika chucked to himself, "at least not anymore. Besides I'm a business mammal and I have a proposition for you. If you beg for me to put you out of your misery, I won't go after your sister, aunt or even your uncle. If you decide not to beg well...I will make sure that everything Mr. Skaal did to you, he'll do twice as much to each of them."

Reggie looked into the eyes of Himils with his good eye. There was no hesitation in the rodent's words and no deception in his gaze. This was the deal and there was no getting out of it. His vision blurred as the young mammal felt the sting of tears from his left eye, the salt burning the cuts from Ivan's blows. "You promise?" the mustela desperately asked, "You won't hurt any of them?"

Himils sighed and removed his glasses to wipe them with his tie. "I have no reason to promise you anything Mr. Weaselton. It simply does not help my cause by adding three more bodies to my list." He placed his glasses back on his snout, "If it makes you feel better than yes I promise not to harm any of the Weaselton brood. Now can we get on with this?"

Reggie's mission was over, and he had failed. Three months of struggle and fear of being found out had left the young mammal only wishing for the end of this long journey. The Weasel tried to stay the tears that rolled down his cheeks, but still they came. The assignment had been too much for the mustela to shoulder and he hung his head as all of his misdeeds filled his thoughts. Did he deserve to leave his captors alive? Was he not just as guilty as they are, if not more? Even as doubt flooded his thoughts, Reggie's resolved hardened. There was no way out and no one was coming for him. If he could save the lives of his family at his own expense...well it was a price worth paying.

"Ok..." spoke the defeated Weasel in just above a whisper, "...you win Himils...I'll beg..." Reggie kept his eyes shut; he couldn't look at any of the mammals around him.

"Splendid! Now that you've agreed, this will be much easier. Mr. Svinya, do you have your phone?

"Got it right here boss!"

"Excellent work. Mr. Puankulak, could you place me on the table? I know you have expressed interest in do this yourself."

"With pleasure boss."

Reggie kept his head bowed. Nothing the mammals were doing around him mattered anymore. Thoughts and memories of his family flittered through his mind. There was so much the young mammal wish he could have said to them. To Mary it would be to remind her that she will get past it and go on to help so many other mammals. To his aunt and uncle, Reggie wanted to tell them how much he loved them one last time. The good times with his parents and the best times with Crystal came to the forefront. He may not have been there long, but the young mammal also remembered patrolling with Snarlov and Hopps. How there were days where the mustela could see the difference that he had made and that Reggie did do some good. Finally the memory of Sheri forced its way to the front. She would never know that the barista had gotten the Weasel through some of his worst nights. If the raccoon was lucky, Reggie surmised, than she wouldn't remember him at all, just another customer that came and left and never returned a face to be forgotten. He would never forget her though, and as these were his final moments he only had a final regret, the young mammal would never know how Sheri felt about him. _"Another unanswered question, huh Regg?"_

"Are we all ready?" called out Himils, his voice more distant than earlier. There was a round of confirmations from the other free mammals. "Good, now Mr. Weaselton I am going to need your attention once more."

Reggie opened his eye and looked forward, exhaustion making his movements sluggish. He couldn't see the rodent, but he assumed that once again Himils was in the shadow.

"For your end of the agreement I need you to state your position, your precinct and that you are begging for your life, understood?" The Weasel leered, but nodded slowly. "Alright then…Mr. Svinya, please set up the camera."

A bright white light blinded the young mammal before his eyes adjusted. Reggie could see the Boar standing off to the side with a camera phone in hand. Why would they want to tape this? The Weasel pushed the thought out of his mind, it didn't matter anyway. There was a period of testing how much Kedi was in the shot, with the goal for only the drawn gun on him to be visible for what the mustela assumed was plausible deniability. Skaal stood behind the filming mammal, releasing his mirth in either fits of giggles or random clapping. Reggie wished he could kill the Pangolin. Eventually everything was as Himils wanted it, and the young mammal was given a signal by Ivan. It was his time to shine.

"My name is Officer Reginald C. Weaselton from Precinct One," Reggie started slowly, adrenaline wearing off and the bleach smell gone from his nose, "I am begging my captors to please… ** _Please_** …put me out of my misery and kill me." The young mammal swallowed dryly and tears once again rolled down his cheek. He felt the cold metal press against his head. Reggie leaned into the object, accepting that this was it. The earth felt as though it was shaking. His body was vibrating in anticipation as his breathing became frantic. "Come on," the mustela pressed, "Come on…DO IT!" Reggie heard an explosion, and his world went dark.


	35. Protect the Badge Part One

**Hello Readers,**

 **This was my largest chapter to date with over 7,000 words! Criticism is always welocme and I hope you enjoy the next installment of "A Weasel's Watch."**

 **-CG**

* * *

Adrian Bogo had been awoken from deep sleep by a frantic call from Lieutenant Howlington. In his exhausted state, the Cape Buffalo was able to make out some details from what the Red Wolf was saying. Words like "Weaselton", "Captured" and "Missing" stuck out compared to the rest. That is why at a little after Five in the morning, the Chief found himself fully dressed behind his desk and going over the last written reports of Detective Blackpaw to see if there was hint from the mustela officer of the danger he was in. With reports laid out in front of him, and reading them one after another, the large mammal noticed an unsettling pattern.

"It's too clean," muttered the Chief under his breath, "there should have been **some** trouble..." In Adrian's twenty five years of service in the Z.P.D., he had never read or been a part of an undercover operation that was supposedly running this smoothly. There was always a problem, whether it was something as simple as the officer's cover not being accepted, or more complex such as when an undercover officer in the Chief's third year accidentally became the right hoof of the McHooverton's in the Meadowlands. There was always a problem, normally they were solved or the officer was pulled, but there was always _something_. Now though, as the herbivore started going back further and further, there didn't seem to be any problem at all. So either Weaselton is the greatest undercover officer in the history or the Z.P.D.

"Or all these reports are false..." Adrian said out loud, sighing as he dropped the one month report back onto the desk. He ran a hoof over his eyes. How had he not realized this? The reports only suggest minor gains and the need for more funding, but if they were true than Weaselton was moving at a sloth's pace. The Bull reached for his desk phone and dialed a familiar number. The phone rung once before being picked up.

"Hello Chief," responded the sleepy voice of Lieutenant Saburo Salpicado, the officer on duty for the midnight shift, "what can I do for you this early morning?"

"Do you have a free officer?" asked Adrian, his free hoof rubbing the side of his head.

"No, but It's not a busy night. I can take care of it."

"I need you to search Detective Blackpaw's office...is Lieutenant Howlington there?"

"Hold on..." there was the sound of the phone being placed down. The Bull heard distant murmurs, but couldn't make them out. "Back Chief and yep Red's here. I'm a little surprised since I thought he left."

"Never mind that, you and Howlington search Blackpaw and Zirafa's office."

"Looking for anything specific?"

The Bull let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Anything suspicious, I wish I could be more descriptive but I don't know what you'll find. Just do your best."

"Will do Chief...do you think Blackpaw's dirty or something?"

Adrian stared blankly ahead. It was a new question that needed to be answered, but just like the question 'Where's Weaselton?' the Chief didn't have an answer. The Bull let out another sigh, "I truly hope not."

"Alright Chief, Red and I will tear apart the office and put it back together in no time. Saburo out."

The Chief hung up the phone, and was once again staring at the reports on his desk as if more information will reveal itself. The Bull's next move needed to be decisive. From the report from Howlington, it had been at least over an hour since Reggie was taken. Other than the location, no other information could be provided. This meant that the Chief had to find one of his officers, who was being held prisoner by a deadly criminal organization, with no direction and not enough on duty officers to start sweeping the city.

Adrian didn't reach for the phone this time, but pressed the desk speaker that connected directly to the Front Desk. "Officer Antlerson, start the emergency call for Day shift."

There was an annoyed groan on the other end, "It's such a pain!"

There was a moment of silence from Adrian as it started to sink in that an officer had spoken to him in such a manner. Snarlov had mentioned something in passing about the Front desk Kudo officer, but didn't believe it till now. Before he could _remind_ the officer that he was the Chief of Police, she cut back in.

"Process has been started, should have at least half the shift by six thirty with seven at the latest. Anything else or can I go back to my magazine?"

The Bull simply ignored the question and stood from his desk. One problem at a time, and a rude officer was the least of his concern. Right now he had a Weasel to find. As Adrian looked out onto Zootopia from his office, the sun not even peaking up, the Chief mentally planned the schedule for the day. He couldn't assign every officer to find Weaselton, but he knew the officers would go above and beyond the call of duty to help one of their own. "Hold on Reginald," the Bull muttered, "help is on the way."

* * *

The Chief was standing at the podium, looking at a half empty Bullpen. It was exactly seven, but still he was missing officers from the day shift. The file in his hoof was all the information on Officer Weaselton, including the information removed from the system. Even though there was less three fourths of his officers present, the Bull had taken the initiative and announced the facts of the case. The veteran officer watched the reaction of the officers with his words. Some like Delgato, Fangmeyer and Grizzoli didn't react openly to the news. Others such as Hopps and Wolford showed their worry on their sleeves. Still a few others…

"Are you saying that you sent a rookie cop undercover and alone for three months **_AND DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING WAS WRONG!?_** " Bellowed Snarlov angrily, the Brown Bear standing up and leaning heavily on the table he normally sat at with Grizzoli.

The Bull would be lying if he said he didn't expect any for negative reaction from his officers, but he never in his wildest dreams thought that Gregor would be the cause of this uproar. "Officer Snarlov," Adrian tried to begin calmly, but the ursine's aggression sparked his own anger, "It was decided that Officer Weaselton would be-"

"Oh can the double talk," snarled Snarlov, "You screwed up and now you want us to clean up the mess, isn't that right?"

"That is _not_ correct _officer_ ," responded the Cape Buffalo through gritted teeth, "and you best remember who's in-"

"Oh I haven't forgotten _Chief_ , but let's not beat around the bush. **_You_** screwed up! **_You_** could have sent someone else! **_You_** -"

"That's **Enough!** " the Bull shouted back, slamming a closed hoof onto the podium and adding a large dent to the top. " _Snarlov_ hit the streets and don't come back until you remember the chain of command!"

"Oh I'll show you command!" the Bear retorted, moving around the table and heading towards the front. Several officers rose from their seats, but a white paw landed on the Brown Bear's shoulder. Snarlov turned to see Grizzoli behind him.

Nothing was said between the two ursines, but Adrian recognized the silent communication that long term partners could develop. Snarlov scoffed, but left RollCall with a slam of the back door. If the Bull thought for a moment that the arctic ursine agreed with the Bull's decision, it was completely quashed by the leer the large mammal gave the Chief. If not for the seriousness of the situation, Adrian could see that Grizzoli would have walked out right after his partner. Instead the Polar Bear sat back in his seat and folded his paws on the table.

"Assignment!" bellowed the Bull, his emotions still running high, "Grizzoli and McHorn, you're in charge of the investigation. Wolford, Fangmeyer. You two are to head to Officer Weaselton's last known sighting. Precinct Six should already be there, so coordinate accordingly. **_We_** are handling this case, so evidence they find goes to our labs, understood?" The Polar Bear and Rhino moved to the podium with McHorn taking the folder. Wolford and Fangmeyer were not too far behind them. "The rest of you, same patrols as yesterday." Officers slowly stood and left the room one after another, but a pair of smaller mammals hadn't left yet.

"Is there something I can help you with officers?" Adrian asked as he stepped from behind the podium. His tone held an edge to suggest the very real threat of throwing them both of parking duty.

"Well…uh…Chief. I was wondering why Officer Wilde and I hadn't been assigned to help with finding Reg- I mean Officer Weaselton since we both have experience with missing mammals." Hopps asked politely, though judging by the scowl on her snout as she spoke it was only his rank that stopped the Bull from receiving one of her powerful kicks.

Thankfully this is something that the Chief had prepared for. "It's simple Hopps. I need officers who will think with a clear head and whose emotions are not tied to this case." Before the doe could protest, the Bull waved a hoof to cut her off. "I know you have been asking around about Weaselton. I know that your little 'investigation' has been going on and off since almost to the very beginning of his undercover assignment. So before you start to protest, recognize that I _know_ you're emotionally compromised."

Hopps' ears fell and a paw went to her chest, but once again she was cut off. This time by a russet paw on her shoulder. "It's alright Carrots you'll get him next time." The smirk on the tod's face seemed to lack any care in the world as the vulpine officer slid next to the Rabbit. "Chief, my partner here is _brimming_ with energy. I think what would help fluff out would be if you could assign us a case. You know what they say, idle hands and red furred devils, so how bout it Chief?"

Adrian could feel how much this was a con. The Chief wasn't in his position today without recognizing a swindle, but for the life of him he couldn't see how. While the two were some of his best officers, their involvement generally led to the discovery of a large conspiracy or drug ring or any of the other examples that the partners had solved. Giving them a small case should be alright and an electronic store was recently robbed, open and shut case. The Bull nodded, but kept his appearance stern. "Very well, there is a case for you at the Front Desk. Pick it up and don't let me down, understood?"

Both officers gave a crisp salute, but the Fox's grin seemed to deepen. The two left the Chief alone in the Bullpen. His shoulders slumped as he leaned against the podium. All the things that Snarlov had said hit the Cape Buffalo hard. It was the blessing and curse of being a ranked officer. Your decision could save or end an officer or civilian's life. The best any officer could do was making sure those underneath him are prepared for the worst and hope they never have to use that training.

"Chief Bogo," said a voice from behind. The Chief turned to see Sergeant Higgins standing in the doorway, the Hippo wearing a blank expression. "The Lieutenants have found something." The Bull nodded and headed towards the doorway, but when the Hippo didn't move a questioning brow rose. "The Deputy Chief of Precinct Seven called."

"I can deal with that fool another time." Grumbled the Chief, but still the officer didn't budge.

"It's about Blackpaw, sir."

There was a second of silence as the words settled between the two mammals. "I'll take the call in my office," growled the Bull as the Hippo finally let him pass, "and tell Zirafa when he gets here that I want to see him _immediately_."

"Yes sir."

Adrian walked towards the elevators, wanting a moment to put his thoughts in order that the quiet ride would allow him. Something was going on, and worse it happened right under his snout. The Cape Buffalo never liked surprises, and today was no exception. With more of a forceful push than normally necessary, the Bull started to organize the facts so far. At the moment nothing added up. The evidence that the Lieutenants found hopefully would start to answer some questions. The elevator doors opened, and Adrian stepped right in.

* * *

Ralph Wolford was nervous. His partner, Nadine Fangmeyer, and the lupine had been called in many times for missing mammal cases. The Wolf's nose never seemed to fail him, and the Tiger's eyes could always find the smallest detail. It made them a powerful duo. What made the lupine officer nervous was that he had never been called in to find one of their fellow officers. Usually runaways or bail jumpers, maybe a true missing mammal. Sadly with the latter cases there was the possibility of finding a corpse. It was this last fact that had the Wolf on fidgeting in his seat.

"Ralph," begun the low voice of Fangmeyer, "calm down." The Tiger was sitting in the passenger seat with her eyes closed.

"HA, I am calm Nadine," Ralph responded, even as his ears refused to stand, "ya-you're the nervous one! Yeah, old Fangmeyer worried about a little…case…" The Wolf trailed off as a large orange and black paw rested on his forearm. The color combination was always mesmerizing to the male. He removed a paw from steering wheel and placed on top of his companion's larger one.

"It'll be ok. We're going to find Reggie, and then everything will go back to normal. Right?"

The Wolf officer nodded, but he didn't want things to stay "normal" either. The past year with the rise in violence had really forced Ralph to put his life into perspective. He had always considered himself a "heart breaker" of sorts. One of those eligible bachelors who all females wished they could have and for a night they may. Hook-up culture had been perfect for Ralph. The consensus between two individuals to indulge in a primal release of energy seemed perfect for the young male, or at least that's what he was told. Now though, his mind had turned to a more permanent type of relationship.

It started out innocently enough for the lupine. He accepted a date with Lioness. The Wolf had never been interested in felines before, but something in the back of his mind told him to give it a try. It was an amazing night filled with laughter and drinking. When it came time to head back to her place, Ralph found himself uninterested. This was the part of the night where the Wolf finishes off his night of wooing with what the two were interested in, and yet Ralph couldn't move forward with it. He had apologized and left the confused feline to the rest of her night. He headed back to the Wolford Pack complex and passed out. It was the first night that dreamed of orange and black.

The dream had become a new staple of his nights, with more dreams floating in and out as well. It had taken the Wolf an embarrassingly long time to understand what his subconscious was telling him. Only when a co-worker pointed out the blush in Ralph's ears when Nadine had teased him over something trivial did the pieces start to connect. Of course once he realized that he had caught feelings for his partner, he started acting differently around her.

"It's up here on the left," Nadine pointed out, "that's strange I don't see any police activity."

Ralph frowned. This was the address in the file, an old Z.P.D. safe house, so why was no one here? The Wolf pulled over to the side of the road and put the cruiser in park. The bitter cold of Tundra Town went right through the officer's uniform, past his fur and right down to his skin. The lupine shivered, "I hate the cold."

"Cheer up Wolford," chimed in Fangmeyer, who seemed to not feel the cold at ally, "we're going to warm up with a hot case."

The Wolf couldn't help but snicker at the deadpanned expression that the feline delivered the joke. "Why aren't you doing stand-up again?"

"And leave my partner alone?" the Tiger quipped, her expression not changing, "You would be lost without me."

"Aw you do care!" Wolford added, not missing up on the opportunity presented to him, "am I melting the ice heart of yours?"

The Tiger chuffed and gave the Wolf a shove. "Move your tail before it freezes."

Thankfully the apartment heating was still working and the partners made it up the steps with ease. Once they reached the apartment though, Ralph heard voices. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but if the apartment number was correct it should be abandoned. The Wolf pressed himself up against the corner of the doorframe; he felt Nadine's paw on his shoulder as they both pulled out their tranq pistols. The door was slightly ajar and the lupine could hear…laughter? He breathed deeply and brought his pistol in front of him. Ralph kicked open the door and quickly knelt in the doorway to give his partner full line of sight. "Zee Pee Dee, Fr-" The Wolf's words caught in his throat as a started ewe stood in the middle of the room, a startled…naked ewe. "Oh…OHH!" was all Ralph could say as a blush overtook his face, "I'm so sorry! I-I didn't realize-"

"Is the Z.P.D. here?" asked another voice from inside the apartment. The ewe turned left, "Yeah, so hurry up with your shower doll."

"Ma'am can you please put something on?" asked Fangmeyer, it was the closest the Wolf had ever heard her plead.

"You bust in on me and get mad when **_I'm_** not dressed?" scoffed the Sheep, "Just close the door and give us three minutes."

Ralph hurried to his hind paws and quickly exited under the Big Cat's arms. He heard the click of the door behind him and glanced over to see his partner lean against the opposite wall. The Tiger slid down and let out a tired sigh.

"Ralph…" the feline began, her head leaning against the wall and her eyes closed, "what did we just see?"

Ralph smirked, a terrible joke dancing on the edge of his tongue. "Well Nadine, you did always wonder how they got wool." Fangmeyer chuckled quietly and Ralph's tail wagged. He loved that sound.

* * *

The term "hit the streets" was rather ambiguous to Gregor. Normally it meant that the officer in question was given a one day, unpaid suspension that was the precursor to a much harsher punishment, but this time it sounded like the Chief really wanted him to _hit_ the streets. With his hind paws…and cruiser tire wheels. It didn't matter to the Brown Bear what punishment came his way, be it firing or jail time, it would be worth it if Reggie came back home safely. The ursine officer knew he would be kept out of the loop and his cruiser wouldn't be called to any crime scenes. There was only one mammal that may be able to help the Bear, but there was also the very real possibility he wouldn't want to speak to Gregor either.

The officer pulled up to the curb in Sahara Square, he stepped out from the air conditioned vehicle into the scorching conditions of the district. Across the road, with a folding table set up with different wares was one Duke Weaselton. "The Duke of Bootleg" was known to snitch whenever he was caught up in a crime, but over the last year the crimes that the Weasel was being caught up in were less and less. Gregor's first paw knowledge that the mustela's nephew had graduated from the Z.P.A. put the older criminal's actions into perspective. As the Brown Bear endured the heat from the sun, he could see the wares on the table. Instead of bootlegs, it was filled with jewelry and handbags. Each item was lined up, and in front of each item was a card. Gregor squinted as he made out the tiny handwriting.

 _"not jenuine stuff"_

"Wat you's want coppa?" demanded the smaller mammal, "I ain't givin you's nuffin no more."

Gregor held up his paws in surrender, "I'm here about your nephew."

The attitude of the criminal changed in an instant. Gone was hardened mammal who was about to fight for every scrap of information he had, and he was replaced by a fretting uncle. Faster than the Bear expected from Duke, the older mustela climbed onto his table and launched himself at the officer. Merchandise fell to the sidewalk as he gripped the officer's shirt and dug his paws into the ursine's duty belt. "You's tell me where he at right now!" barked Duke, shaking and pulling at fabric in his paws as he glared at the Brown Bear.

Gregor sighed and grasped the smaller mammal by the scruff and pulled the mustela off of it. It needed more effort than the Bear originally thought, but eventually Duke released his grip and the officer brought the squirming mammal to eye level. The Weasel fumed as his arms were folded and his legs were scrunched closer to his core. "I'll scratch ya eyes out." Duke warned. Gregor snorted and shook his head, "I don't think you could, but I'm gonna take that risk either. I need help finding Reggie."

"So you's finally admits dat Reggie been missin and you come to me for helps? Ya'lls terrible."

"I'm sorry," Gregor begun honestly, "I didn't realize that Reggie was missing. I…I kinda got caught up in myself for a little while." The Brown Bear looked away, his shame causing him to not meet Duke's gaze. He sighed and straightened his posture, now was not the time for self-loathing. "Reggie is missing after an undercover assignment. He was supposed to infiltrate the club the 'Cat's Meow' three months ago, but this morning he was captured by Ivan Svinya and Ikan Skaal. We are trying to find out any information about where they could have taken him."

Duke scratched underneath his muzzle, "Gun runna's?" Gregor stared at the Weasel with a shocked expression. "Wha? Everyone knows dat Kedi is runnin a big goldmine, but no one figured why he needed dat much cash. Add in some of dem guns hittin da street and da old smugglin way in da Rainfores Riva and you's can make a killin…er...figuas o speech course."

"How did you know any of that?" Gregor finally asked, breaking out of his stupor.

Duke shrugged as he swayed slightly in the Bear's grip. "Mammals don't like me, but dat don't mean dey don't talk neither. I figuas dat if Reggie cames back I's could…"

"You could help…" finished the Bear, his view of the criminal changing with each passing moment. Duke was a known "old head," a criminal till the day he dies…at least that's what it used to be. Now the Weasel was willing to throw away any connections he had left, all for his nephew. Gregor nodded with a smirk, "Help me out now, and I'll do everything I can to get Reggie back. I think he deserves to hear what you're doing for him face to face."

"Problem is dat I dunno all of Kedi's places, ya know?" Dat Cat is smart, and hes woulda have couple places for da dirty deeds. If Reggie ain't at da club and da middle mam hadn't talked den I dunno what you's want."

Gregor frowned, "Middle Mammal?" There was no mention of another mammal being involved.

"How ya dink dat Kedi gets his mammals? Crabslist?" was Duke's snarky reply, rolling his eyes at the larger mammal, "You's coppas still don't know nuffin."

"I'm starting to agree with you," murmured the Bear glancing away before refocusing back on the Weasel, "So who is it?"

"His names Jak Woolty and he's all da way in da Rainforest. He's da one everyone pointin a digit at right now. "

"Jak Woolty…the drug dealer?" Gregor tried to ask calmly, but his temper started to bubble.

"Drug deala? Nah, he connects mammals ta one anotha. Problem is he'll turn on ya if he gets caught hisself."

The Brown Bear bit down a snarl as he gently placed the smaller mammal back onto the ground. "Thanks for the help. I'll find Reggie Duke, don't worry." The ursine turned to walk away, but was stopped by the mustela.

"Hey coppa, hold it!" Duke commanded. Gregor turned slightly to look at the Weasel. "If… _When_ ya see Regg, could ya jus… tell'em dat me and Dutch and Mare want ta know he's ok. Ok?"

"I'll make sure _you're_ the one to tell him Duke," The Bear turned back to his cruiser with his teeth bared and his paws clenched. "I promise you that."

* * *

To say Judy was confused over the events of the morning were an understatement. Nick never volunteered them for a case. It was usually she who was begging for anything rather than doing normal patrol. To add to her confusion was the tod's insistence on driving. He _hated_ driving, even though he could, and always let the doe drive their cruiser. The case that they had grabbed from Clawhauser was thin with little to go on. There had been a total of three robberies of electronic stores, one in Savannah Central and two in the Rainforest District. Precinct Seven has no leads and gave what little information they obtained to Precinct One. The Rabbit read through the files in the folder, trying to find any missed clues as to who could be behind this crime. "It says that the robbers dug in underneath the sto-"

"It's the Merc brothers," interrupted Nick, his tone nonchalant, "Fin says they're hiding out in Sahara Square with their last haul."

Judy huffed and closed the file, "So how do they dig?"

"They're Meerkats, fluff. Digging is one of their specialties. And before you ask 'How are they getting the electronics through Meerkat sized holes?' They are simply digging in and then opening the door for the rest of them. I think there are thirty of them?"

The Rabbit officer was stunned and staring mouth agape at her partner. The silence seemed to have caught the Fox's attention as he glanced over to see Judy in her state. He smirked, "I can solve crimes too Carrots."

Judy shook her confusion away and moved to their next course of action. "So we are heading there to arrest them and take the evidence into custody?"

"Nope," responded the Fox, popping the 'p', "We are heading to Tundra Town to meet up with Mr. Big. All we have to do is radio over to Clawhauser in an hour to send some Precinct Two officers to the address Fin gave me and that should be it. I'm glad my guess for the case was right, if not we would _actually_ be investigating." Nick chuckled to himself as he kept his eyes on the road.

"So wait," Judy started, rubbing her forehead, "why are we seeing Mr. Big then?"

"It's…complicated…"

" ** _Nick_**."

The vulpine officer sighed, "It's a long story that I was going to have to tell you anyway, but could we wait for me to tell it until after meeting with Big? I know patience isn't some _bunny's_ strongest virtue," his joke fell on folded ears, "but it would be better to have this conversation while we aren't on the clock."

Judy sighed heavily. With their relationship progressing, the doe had learned so much more about Nick. Stories dealing with his mother or his earliest days hustling now came out in the safety of his apartment. It gave her an even clearer image of the mammal she loved, but the Rabbit was also aware that there were stories that he hadn't shared yet. She knew that eventually all of his past would be known by the doe. The Fox didn't hold back from her anymore, but that didn't make it easier to wait for him to speak. As he had pointed out, some _bunny_ was impatient. She nodded and looked at her partner. "Ok Nick, but you're buying lunch."

"Is Officer Hopps using Police property to go on a date?" Nick jokingly accused, mock shock showing in his gaze. He wiped a fake tear away, "Soon you'll be accepting bribes of carrots, Carrots."

Judy landed a hard punch into the annoying vulpine's thigh. "Hey easy!" The Rabbit officer glowered at her companion. "We both know that the only one who accepts bribes here is you, _Officer Wilde_!"

The Fox groaned, "Are we still talking about those smoothies?"

"We can't accept gifts for our services!"

"All we did was chase away some loiters, that's not really a service."

"We _still_ can't accept any items while in uniform."

"It was the middle of summer. Carrots, we've have had this argument before and I always win. Can we skip to the part where you admit defeat already?"

Judy huffed and folded her arms, looking away from the other officer. "Carrots…Fluff…Judy…" She continued to ignore the annoying partner who was so annoying and dumb and snored and…"You know I love you."

"Oh no!" retorted the doe with a pointed digit, "You aren't getting out of it that easily."

Nick huffed, trying to suppress a growing smile, "How about I buy you lunch and tonight we watch one of those terrible romantic comedies you like? How's that sound?"

"I'm starting to think that you like those movies!" responded the Rabbit claimed.

"Madam," begun the tod, removing a paw from the steering wheel to place it on his chest, "I'll have you know that the day that I start liking the same movies you do is the day that I abhor blueberries…By the way this is a onetime offer."

Judy looked out the window, mulling over the deal. She knew that she could probably force Nick to watch _more_ than one of her sappier movies if she gave him a pleading look later on. It also wouldn't be hard to convince the tod to let her lay on top of him. With his tail draped over her legs and his arms around her protectively, she felt so safe and secure. When she listened to his heart beat slowly, she always drifted asleep…

"Earth to Carrots, you there?"

"Huh?" Judy started, snapped out of her daydream, "Uh…Yeah. Yes. Yep."

"So you forgive me?"

 _"Oh yeah that…"_ Judy tried to huff, but it held none of the annoyance from before. "I'll forgive you this one time, but don't do it again."

Nick's grin deepened, "Now…You know you love me."

Judy looked away, not wanting to give the tod the satisfaction of seeing her smile, "You know I do."

* * *

It had taken more than three minutes, closer to a half hour really, before Ralph and Nadine were given the all clear to come back into the apartment. In the room were two freshly groomed females in evening wear, sitting on a bed in the corner of the room together. What shocked Ralph was that the Sheep's companion was a Tiger. The feline had an arm draped protectively across the ewe's shoulders and the other holding the sheep's hoof. The lupine couldn't help but compare this new Big Cat to his partner. The new feline appeared thinner and shorter than his partner. While Nadine was built for the rigors of the job, and had muscle aplenty, this Tiger looked like a strong breeze could push her over. All in all Ralph thought there was no comparison to his Tiger and the one sitting on the bed.

"So I'm assuming you're hear about ex?" asked the ewe politely. Unlike the officers, she seemed completely unfazed by the snafu that just occurred.

"Uh, who?" questioned Ralph with a cocked head.

"The Weasel who lived here," the Tiger responded with a scowl, "can't you put that nose of yours to good use?"

The Wolf's ears folded back, his embarrassment had distracted him from his job.

"If it's a Weasel who lives here, than who are you?" Began Fangmeyer, "How do we know that you two haven't covered up the crime?"

Ralph felt the feline officer step closer to him as she spoke, and could have sworn that the tip of her tail had smacked the back of his leg. He suppressed the urge to wag his tail and instead remained focus on the ewe. He would fantasize about his partner's tail later. The Wolf sniffed the air lightly. He could smell the scents of a Weasel that was old, two Tigers both fresh, one Sheep fresh, one Fox old and one she-Wolf old. There was another scent that he didn't recognize, almost as if it wanted to be one mammal but had been changed. Ralph followed the odd scent from the middle of the room to the doorway. The lupine's brow furrowed as he tried to decipher what this meant. Then it hit him.

"They used musk mask," Ralph declared, drawing the attention of the other mammals in the room, "I can definitely make out that one didn't use enough, but can smell at least two mammals that used it." He looked towards the seated mammals.

"Ivan Svinya and Ikan Skaal," the ewe chimed in, trying to rise from her seat but was stopped by the smaller Tiger. She patted the paw of the feline on her shoulder. The Big Cat gave a sigh, but let the ewe rise. "We have a girl who saw them take something out in a bag. She didn't want to come up here, but me and my kitty don't have such queasy stomachs. Isn't that right doll?" The question was aimed at the seated feline who simply chuffed and folded her arms. The ewe giggled in response. "She's Saffron and I'm Jezebel. We worked for ex…at least so to speak."

"Who's ex?" posed Fangmeyer with arms folded defensively. If her flickering tail was any indication to Ralph, than she did not trust the two in front of her.

"The Weasel," grumbled Saffron, her arms folding as well as her attention stayed solely on Fangmeyer, "isn't he one of yours?"

"Need to know," the feline officer snipped back, "if you two know this is a crime scene, than why did you decide to take showers?"

The sheep giggled and the smaller Tiger blushed. "Doll, have you ever used wax?" Jezebel asked.

Fangmeyer glanced at Ralph, who looked just as confused as she did and shrugged in return. "Not for whatever you used it for I assume." The Tiger said returning her gaze back to the females.

"It gets messy…" grumbled Saffron, whose shoulders had slumped as her blush doubled.

"I think we're off topic." Ralph interjected, not willing to find out _why_ wax is apparently 'messy.' "If you know who grabbed the officer here, than why haven't you reported it to Precinct Six?"

"Doll, don't take us for fools," the Sheep added with a pointed hoof, "One of our gals is down there now talking to them. She even has an officer with her." Jezebel walked past the two officers. Ralph's eyes followed the Sheep as she walked over to a large desk and pulled open the bottom drawer. "I checked here first since I know ex likes keeping his stuff hidden here." The ewe tittered, "He always thought we didn't notice." She bent down low and reached a hoof underneath the drawer. With a little effort, the Sheep pulled out an envelope. She stood up and tossed it Fangmeyer who caught it easily. "I think there's a phone in there and some cash." The ewe moved back to her seat next to the Tiger. "We got a description of the car and a witness for it."

"That's great!" Ralph said, clapping his paws together, "we'll take you guys to Precinct Six an-"

"No you won't," snarled Saffron defiantly, her eyes wide in fear. She wrapped both her arms protectively around Jezebel. "I won't let you take her to that **_cesspool_** again!" The Tiger growled at the stunned officers.

The sheep rubbed the feline's arm and rocked back and forth, moving the Big Cat with her. "Shhh…its ok Saff. No one's going to Precinct Six. We can go to Precinct One and get nice and warm." Jezebel's gaze turned to the officers. The mirth that seemed to bounce in her eyes when she laughed was gone, and only a threatening edge remained. "Isn't that right… _Officers_?"

Once again Ralph and Nadine shared a glance; both not understanding what was going on but seeing a way to gain the information they need. "I'm sorry," started Ralph softly as he slowly approached the two rocking females, "we can go to Precinct One and take your statement. Can you get the mammal that saw what happened to meet us there?" Before he got any closer, he felt the large paw of his partner on his shoulder. This was a delicate situation, and needed to be handled gently. Fangmeyer may not have had the most tact when it came to these conversations, but Ralph knew his partner had a keen understanding of when to stop. "How does that sound?"

The Sheep stopped rocking and she turned to look the Tiger in the eye. "Are you ok with that doll?" Saffron looked away before looking back at the ewe and nodding. "You two will be the one's taking us in?"

"Not in," Fangmeyer added calmly, her paw still on the Wolf's shoulder, "We are simply giving you a voluntary ride to Precinct One. If you would like legal counsel before speaking with us we can try to have someone there for you. Is that reasonable?"

"That sounds fine." Jezebel responded, she then turned to her partner, "come on Saff let's go somewhere warm."

The seated feline gave the ewe another squeeze before letting go and standing up. She stayed directly next to the Sheep.

"We have a cruiser downstairs," Ralph explained, understanding the fragility of the situation, "you both will sit in the back and we will head directly to Precinct One. No stops in between." The Wolf moved slowly to the door, trying not to make any sudden moves around the frightened Tiger. The couple walked behind him as Ralph trusted his partner to bring up the rear. There were so many questions that were unanswered. What was Reggie's cover? What do they mean they "worked for him?" Why was there such an aggressive reaction against Precinct Six? Ralph pushed his questions aside. The only thing that mattered now was finding Reggie. Everything else could be answered later.

* * *

Adrian sat in his office, hooves clasped tightly together as he tried to hide his wrath. Blackpaw still hadn't arrived and Zirafa had just come in. The Chief was waiting impatiently for the Okapi to arrive. After RollCall the Chief had been on the phone with all of the Deputy Chief's. The fact that Precinct Six had been informed about the situation and not acted on it caused Adrian to break another phone receiver. He quickly fixed the problem there by having Weaselton's information added to the database. Adding to the Bull's dilemma were several suspicious items from the Mountain Lion's dealing with the case. He wanted to punch something, or someone, but before he could do that there was a question that needed to be answered. There was a knock at the door. "Enter." The Cape Buffalo commanded, there should be only one mammal stepping through that doorway. John Zirafa walked through the door, the Opaki wearing a worn out brown suit. "You uh…wanted to see me Chief?"

Adrian remembers when the Okapi first came to Precinct One. He was brought in from Precinct Eight after showing promise in the Canal District and there being a lack of experienced detectives at the time. The Bull was a Lieutenant at the time, but hadn't worked closely with at the time new detective. It wasn't too long later that the Cape Buffalo was promoted to Assistant to the Chief and any thoughts of the other herbivore disappeared with it. This was a fault that the Bull wishes he had corrected. "Sit."

The Okapi quickly moved to one of the large chairs in front of the desk, fidgeting slightly as he tried to get comfortable.

"How is the undercover mission going?" Adrian asked, the trap being laid.

"Oh, uh…it's going great!" The Okapi answered, his nervousness, "Weaselton is doing his best."

"Oh?" questioned the Bull, "I'm surprised that he's doing so well. I figured that he would have trouble considering his lack of experience."

"Nope," answered the detective more confidently, "He's doing great, a real natural!"

"When's the last time you talked to him?"

"Well uh I think Blackpaw was able to-"

"No," interrupted the Bull, his anger starting to seep through, "when is the last time that **_YOU_** personally talked to him!" The Chief rose, placing his knuckles on the opposite edge of his desk as he leaned closer to the now cowering Okapi. "When is the last time you made physical contact with him? When is the last time he reported back to you? When have you ** _EVEN DONE ANYTHING FOR THIS ASSINGMENT_**!?" The Cape Buffalo wanted to move the desk aside and simply smash into the waste of an officer his own horns! Sadly that would stain his rugs and it wasn't in the budget to get them cleaned afterwards. He slowly breathed as he tried to rein in his shouting. The Chief sat back into his chair and resumed his earlier position. "Officer Weaselton is missing. Taken from a Z.P.D. safe house by the mammals he was supposed to be infiltrated with. All of the reports for this case have so far come from Blackpaw. So I will ask you, what have you done for this assignment?"

The Okapi remained silent.


	36. Protect the Badge Part Two

**Hello Readers,**

 **Time for another exciting installment of A Weasel's Watch! Let me know what you think and criticism always welcome!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Adrian had the facts he needed. The sun was past its zenith and was casting his side of Precinct One in shadow. He watched as mammals went about their day, blissfully unaware of the dangers that afflicted the city. The Bull couldn't remember the last time he wasn't concerned about Zootopia in one way or another. It felt as though he was born with this burden and it weighed heavier and heavier each year. The recent dilemma weighed on his conscious more than others.

It had been the Cape Buffalo's lack of attention to detail that allowed the situation to spiral. He should have seen the discrepancies in the updates and financial reports. The other Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs may try to explain away the Bull's regret as there is only so much any one mammal can do to control others under them. Even still, Adrian knew that if Officer Weaselton didn't step back through those doors with a badge pinned to his chest than the Bull had failed, worse if his officer came back in a pine box...

The Chief's thoughts are interrupted by a rapt at his door. With Defective Zirafa safely out of the way, there should be only one mammal left to talk to. "Enter," the Chair commanded, keeping his back to the door to try and hide his wrath for awhile longer. Blackpaw had an earned reputation for reading mammals, and only Wilde could claim be on par with the Mountains Lion. The door swung open and closed quietly.

"How's it going Chief?" Blackpaw asked in a friendly tone, oblivious to the trap he had stepped into.

"I received a call from Precinct Seven," begun the Bull, his back still to the feline, "Deputy Chief Pontos showered you with praise for the tip about the smuggling operation."

"Well I'm glad to hear Precinct Seven was able to make use of my information." The Bull didn't have to look to know that the Big Cat was preening with a sly smile.

"Where did you get your information from?" asked Adrian, keeping his voice even.

"Just some old contacts that gave me a tip. Why do you ask sir?"

"Hmm," responded the Bull, ignoring the question posed to him, "shame you won't be able to receive any credit for the bust." If Adrian was correct, than Blackpaw acted as he did out of ambition. There were no signs that he had been in contact with any outside individuals, but Saburo wasn't able to get the Mountain Lion's personal phone records so it was still a possibility. Better to dangle some bait in front of the Big Cat and hope he bites.

"What are you talking about sir?" A sliver of worry entered Blackpaw's voice.

Adrian sighed heavily. It was supposed to be for show, but the Bull felt his emotions slip as the discussion went the way he hoped it wouldn't have. "If you had received the information from any Precinct One operation than it may be possible for you to take responsibility. However since it came from an unknown source and Precinct Seven did all the heavy lifting..."

"Wait!" cried out the Mountain Lion, "not all of the information came from my personal source."

"Oh?" replied Adrian in mock surprise, gripping his hooves tightly together behind his back, "and where may this other information have come from?"

"Well sir, I'm happy to report that Officer Weaselton was able to supply the last piece of information in order to make this all possible." Blackpaw's smugness had returned in full force. "Of course _I_ was the one who saw the connections and informed Precinct Seven."

The Mountain Lion swallowed the bait hook and all, now all the Chief had to do was reel. "Did you follow protocol and retrieve Officer Weaselton after using information he had gathered?"

"Well, you see-" begun the feline.

"Did you inform Precinct Six of the possibility of an undercover officer in danger?" Interrupted the Cape Buffalo, "or how about informing Officer Weaselton through **_secure channels!?_** " The Bull couldn't hold back any longer and spun to finally look at the detective. The feline looked stunned from the turn of events, but the Chief wasn't finished with him. He wretched opened the top desk drawer, almost pulling the thing off its track, and grabbed several evidence bags. He slammed them on the desk as he braced himself and leaned over the desk towards the Big Cat. "We have evidence."

Blackpaw opened his mouth to speak, but the enraged Bull cut him off. " ** _Don't_** speak _detective_. I'm this close from removing the only piece of furniture between us." The feline clamped his muzzle shut. Adrian continued, "We went through your office and found one bank card, specifically assigned to Officer Weaselton **_and_** an unregistered disposable mobile device. After making a call to the only listed number, imagine my surprise to find Officer Wolford answering on the other end. He told me that he and his partner, Officer Fangmeyer, found the phone in Officer Weselton's last location."

Once again the Mountain Lion tried to speak, but the Bull cut him off again. "We ran the card and found some interesting charges. Several high end restaurants in Savannah Central, two spa treatments in Sahara Square, and withdraw from an ATM located at an hourly motel. Would you care to _explain_ any of this?" The Chief would let the feline try to wiggle out of this.

Blackpaw sighed and gave an apologetic smile and shrug. "I seemed to have accidentally taken that card instead of my own bank card, silly me. As for the phone, I was planning on registering it, but the case kept taking up my time."

"The case where every report you handed in mentioned none of this?" Adrian seethed, "The one where you _**haven't even asked why Wolford answered the phone!?**_ " The Bull slammed a heavy hoof into his desk. " ** _You're so busy covering your own tail that you missed the facts in front of you!_** " The Chief straightened as he breathed slowly, trying to restore some of his calm before continuing with the most important part of this conversation. Adrian grabbed a paper from the still open drawer and passed it to the feline. "Detective Vernon Blackpaw, you are hereby suspended indefinitely. A special council will be chosen to look over the suspension and consider whether or not further action is necessary."

"Wha..." Blackpaw replied. His emotions flickered from confusion to sadness to frustration to finally to pure rage. "No," continued the Big Cat, "No, No, **_No, No_**!" Shouted Blackpaw rising from his seat, "You do **_Not_** have the right to do that to me! **_I_** have worked tirelessly to get to where I'm at and I won't let you throw my career away for some **_insect_**!?" A wicked from played out across the muzzle of the feline, "If you do this, I'll go to the union for unreasonable punishment. They'll have your head." Blackpaw sat down triumphantly, relaxing into the chair with his grin never wavering.

The Big Cat's grin was matched by the Bull's. Adrian leaned forward once more and whispered the words that were the final nail in the proverbial coffin. "Do it." He let a few seconds of silence settle between them, watching the confident smile of Blackpaw slowly fade. "You do that detective, and I promise you'll be in jail in less than a week. The Union may protect you, but they are still cops. No cops like a cop killer, and if Weaselton dies," Adrian jabbed a digit at the Mountain Lion, "you will become one. No one will protect you, and everyone will work against you." The Bull straightened up and snorted. "I thought you would be so much harder to read. I misread your ambition for **_Common speciesm_**." The Chief grabbed the evidence on the desk and put it back in the drawer. He closed it slowly and sat back into his chair. "Consider yourself **_Fired_**."

* * *

Gregor stood in a familiar cramped hallway. The Brown Bear drove to 713 Vine Street, Jak Woolty's apartment address. He kept his head low as Gregor's ears almost scraped the ceiling. The door in front of him was the same as it was several months ago. Paint faded and chipped, but the carpet was clean under his hindpaws. It was as if someone tried to keep the place respectable, but didn't have enough money for new paint.

The ursine had left his utility belt in the cruiser along with his badge. He didn't want one of the few things he held value in to be attached to him for what was next. Gregor knocked heavily on the door, and gripped both sides of the door frame. There was the faintest memory of Woolty having a deadbolt on his door. The sound of shuffling could be heard from the apartment. A pause as Gregor surmised that the Yak was looking through the peephole. All the criminal would see is a familiar officer knocking on his door. There was a loud 'clack' of something heavy being opened. Gregor raised his hind paw and kicked with all his might just to the right of the doorknob. The door swung open, the cracking of wood echoing as the apartment was revealed. It was the same as Gregor remembered.

It was a mess with a varying amount of take out containers and processed food bags scattered on the floor. A veggie chip bag flew into the air as the Yak landed on his back. Sparse furniture was spread out in the living room area. There was a large mammal couch against a wall with windows above it, a television and entertainment center across from the couch and a kitchen table with two chairs in a corner close to the kitchen. As the Bear stepped through the threshold of the doorway, the ceiling raising enough for him to stand at his full height, he spoke with a growl in his throat, "Hello, Jak. I believe you have something to tell me."

Jak backpedaled with his eyes still on the irate Bear, "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" The herbivore pointed an accusing hoof at the ursine, "Yu-You can't just bah-barge in here like that!" Even as the Yak shouted at the Bear, Jak continued to try and put as much distance between him and the angry officer. Eventually his back hit the wall and he cringed under the intense gaze of Brown Bear. "This is illegal," he cried desperately, "and I demand you leave my apartment at once!"

Gregor stopped and bent low to be eye to eye with the Yak, "Do you see a badge on me?" The question was asked with a snarl as the Bear's paws gripped the front of Jak's grimy t-shirt. The ursine yanked the herbivore up and threw him towards the table. The Yak stumbled forward and fell into the furniture, breaking it in half under his full weight. "I've got a few questions _**Jak**_ , and I'm not leaving until I'm satisfied." The Brown Bear slowly walked over to the groaning Yak. "The longer you resist, the longer this goes."

Jak rose to his knees, front hooves on the ground to steady himself. Gregor reached down and yanked the Yak backwards. The herbivore hit the floor hard, his head bouncing off the floor, and he groaned once more. The Brown Bear grabbed the Yak and dragged him towards the couch. The officer lifted Jak halfway onto the couch. Gregor pointed a threatening claw at the Yak, "Listen here Jak, I don't have time for games. So either you tell me _**everything**_ you know about the smuggling that Kedi's doing or I swear I'll rip your limbs off... _ **one**_... ** _by_** _..._ ** _one_**...got it?"

Jak blinked, "Kedi's smuggling?"

* * *

Judy and Nick were sitting comfortably in Mr. Big's study, the familiar room where several years ago the Rabbit had first made the arctic Shrew's acquaintance. Unlike the time before, they were treated as family, with chairs appropriate for their size and warm beverages waiting for them when they arrived. It always amazed the doe how much hospitality the old gangster would roll out. Of course being the god mother and namesake of his first grandkit didn't hurt.

Judy sat in her chair with a cup of Jasmine tea between her paws, humming a Gazelle song as her and her partner waited for Mr. Big to arrive. She was nervous. Her ears were folded down, and she couldn't help but bounce her hind paw in the air. After the brief talk with Nick in the cruiser, the Fox had clammed up. The vulpine simply focused on the task of driving to their destination, only acknowledging Judy with a nod of his head or some absent minded agreement. It did nothing to help her anxious state.

She glanced over to Nick. He looked deep in thought as the tod stared deeply into the drink between his own paws. The handsome rogue that Judy had fallen for was not there, but instead a Fox who appeared beaten down by the world. His ears were low, shoulders sagged and tail limp, but his eyes told the real story. They were filled with so much pain. The Rabbit reached a paw out to the Fox. "Nick is eve-" She was interrupted by the opening of a door.

Koslov entered the room carrying Mr. Big. Since crime boss trusted the two mammals, there was no need for the rest of his entourage. The large Polar Bear gently placed the chair holding the smallest mammal down on the desk. The arctic Shrew gestured to the officers, smiled and spoke in a raspy voice, "Nicky and Judy, how can I help you today?"

Judy began to speak, but was interrupted by Nick. "We've come to clear a debt, sir," Nick stated, his voice cracking slightly and his tone unsure. The Fox cleared his throat, "It's long overdue."

The Polar Bear scoffed and rolled his eyes. Mr. Big's bushy eyebrows furrowed and a small paw rubbed the side of his muzzle. "I cannot recall any past debts that I have with you, officer." The rodent motioned with his paw to the vulpine, "Perhaps you are mistaken." Even though the words were friendly, the statement was resolute.

"It's not a debt to me," continued Nick, his voice sounding firmer, "It's a debt to the Weaseltons...mainly Richard's kits."

A tension filled the room as the Fox's words settled. Judy felt like she should _know_ that name. It seemed very important, but it was like trying to remember a dream after waking up. "Who's Richard?" she asked, glancing between Nick and Mr. Big.

The Shrew sighed, "My child, this was before your time. There was a period of much bloodshed, one that shook Zootopia to its very core."

"The Bad Old Days?" Judy asked, frowning in thought. She looked up at Mr. Big and saw his tiny mouth agape. The Rabbit looked to her partner and saw a similar shocked expression. "What?" she questioned the two mammals, "Reggie told me about it."

"Reggie," begun the Fox carefully, "As in Officer Weaselton, told you about 'The Bad Old Days'?"

She shrugged, "What's the big deal?"

"What did he tell you?" pressed the Shrew.

"Well he told me about the Rayas family, and the fighting between the sides. How Juan Rayas brought...in..." Judy's ears started to lower under the gazes of all the mammals present. "Was I not supposed to know this?"

"No, no, no!" Nick said waving his paws frantically, "this will make things so much easier to explain actually. You do know who...uh...I guess you can say 'ended the fighting...right?"

Judy nodded, "It was 'Mad Rick.'" She said it so confidently, but dread started to build inside of her. _"Isn't Rick short for Richard...but that's funny cause Nick said something about Richard's kits...of course he also said the debt was owed to the Weaselton's...Richard Weaselton...Bad Old Days...Mad Rick..."_ Judy smiled sweetly at her Fox, "Nick...you're suggesting that 'Mad Rick's' real name was actually Richard Weaselton."

"Well," Nick started, his eyes glancing over to the crime boss and then back to his Rabbit, "uh yes...didn't Weselton tell you that?"

"Nope," the doe responded, popping the 'p.' She slowly slid off her chair and carefully put her cup on her seat. Judy began to pace. "Ok, so Rick is actually Richard and his last name is Weaselton and Mr. Big has a debt to- **Sweet Cheese and Crackers**!" The lapine exclaimed, jumping onto Nick's seat and clapping the sides of his muzzle. "Are you telling me that Rick is Reggie's **father**?!" A muffled 'yes' came from the vulpine. His eyes were filled with regret, but Judy didn't understand why. The Rabbit remembered another piece of the story, a very important one. She turned around and threw her arms out as if to shield her partner from the arctic Shrew and Bear. "You're the one who **_paid_** Rick to murder the other families!"

It was a heavy accusation, no question of innocence for Mr. Big. Instead of the arctic Shrew simply sighed. "I have many things in my life and have made many terrible decisions...but that one is the one I regret the most."

"I don't understand," Judy replied hesitantly, "didn't you want them all dead?"

"No my child, that was never my intention." Mr. Big rested his head in a paw and waved with the other, "I only wanted to stop the fighting. Zootopia is my adopted home and I didn't want to see it in flames. Alas I miscalculated..."

"What do you...?" Judy's words died in her throat as a pair of russet colored arms circled around her. She leaned back into Nick and placed her paws on his forearms, "...Nick?"

"I'm so sorry Fluff," Nick spoke softly, his breath tickling the fur of her ear, "It's my fault."

"Nicky," Mr. Big chided gently, "it was never your fault. I told you before that it was my decision to send you and my mistake to bear. Don't let another mammal's actions weigh upon your heart." The rodent straightened up and smoothed out his jacket, "I have been corrected. I do in fact owe a debt to the Weaselton's. What is necessary to rectify this oversight?"

"We need information," spoke the vulpine officer, his grip not loosening on his lapine partner, "on Kedi Puankulak and everything about the 'Cat's Meow.'"

Mr. Big nodded and snapped his digits. Koslov bent down and opened up a drawer. The Polar Bear pulled out a large manila folder and placed it on the desk. The arctic Shrew rose from his chair and slowly walked over to the folder. He placed a paw on it. "This is all the information I have on Kedi and his cohorts, but I do not like it. I am missing something, but I am not sure what. That Pika, Himils, doesn't sit well with me and I would not be surprised if he was involved."

Judy muttered a 'thank you' as she slid out of Nick's hold. She couldn't reach the folder without jumping, so she waited for her partner to grab it. As the Fox grasped the heavy looking folder, the doe's thoughts wandered to the many questions she still had. Why didn't Reggie tell her about Rick? What was Mr. Big's misstep? More importantly, why did Nick believe it was his fault?

* * *

Alexander Grizzoli stared at the cork board in Conference Room B. On it were different photos of the suspects and a few photos of locations. The space had been commandeered by the ursine and his Rhino partner for going over the evidence they had. Sadly that wasn't much, as the information they had everything before the undercover assignment and a witness statement. The statement did give the description of the vehicle, a newer looking four door car that was dark blue and missing the cover for one of the brake lights. The witness didn't know the make or model, but having the time estimated time helped.

What hindered, and caused the Polar Bear to curse up a storm, was the lack of immediate response from Precinct Six to the situation. It wasn't until after ten that they got off their tails and finally started working. By that point it was useless to section off Reggie's apartment and the raid on the "Cat's Meow" was only filled with staff. Alex _wanted_ to call the Tundra Town Precinct and give each officer a piece of his mind. He also wanted a keg of beer to quell the itching in his throat. He would be able to do neither.

"I don't like this," muttered the Bear as he scratched the side of his head, "there's too many variables." Alex turned back to McHorn, the rhino bent over a table going over the copies of Blackpaw's reports in the hopes of a clue. "Find anything Dwayne?"

The Sergeant straightened up and shook his head. McHorn wasn't known for being expressive, usually the only emotion he showed was annoyance or disgust, but there was a softer look in the megafauna's gaze.

"Ah don't worry big guy," started the Polar Bear, giving his best reassuring smile, "I'm sure Reggie is just lounging in some La-Z Buck waiting for all of this to blow over!" Alex laughed at his own joke, forcing as much mirth as he could. McHorn simply snorted in return and returned to his task. The arctic ursine sighed, "Yeah I don't believe it either." Alex turned back to the cork board. There was something off in the photos, but the Bear couldn't tell what. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Gregor would have seen it in an instant, but instead the grizzly had to shoot his mouth off.

" _Nothing that can be done now. Just gotta buckle down and get the job done."_

A knock on the door caught Alex's attention as it swung open to reveal a panting Wolford. "Sorry," he spoke between breaths, bent over and gasping for air, "ran...all...theway...from...sur...veil...ance..." The lupine held up a cell phone with the screen showing an ongoing call. Wolford tapped the speaker button.

"...Wolfie I said call me when you get there, not run all the way there." Spoke the voice of Officer Wilde. The vulpine sighed, "Well you know what they say about old wolves and new tricks." The Wolf tried to growl, but still catching his breath it sounded closer to clearing his throat. "It's ok Ralph you're still my howling buddy. Anyway I'm assuming my faithful messenger took me to Grizzoli and McHorn?"

"You assumed correct Wilde, but watch what happens when you assume." Alex couldn't stop himself from getting a jab at the Fox officer. He didn't have a problem with Nick, instead the Bear enjoyed their back and forth. Still an officer was missing and this wasn't the time for fooling around. "This better not be a social call, Wilde."

"I would never waste your precious time Grizzy...ok that's a lie, but this time I'm really not."

"Ok then," Alex responded, folding his arms and motioning with his head for the Wolf to head towards the table, "What you got for us?"

There was silence on the other end for several seconds. "That should be enough time for Wolford to have put the phone the table."

"How did you...?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets. Anyway, an anonymous source came forward during me and Carrots investigation into an electronics store robbery-"

"-As happens." Cut in Grizzoli, a knowing smirk on the Bear's muzzle.

"All the time," chimed in Wilde, "Moving forward, the source suggested we look in Sahara Square for our missing mustela. This by _actual_ coincidence is where our case's suspects are."

"Do we have an exact location?"

"Sadly no, Kedi has set up several dummy companies all over Zootopia. Pretty smart really and not something I expected from muscle like him."

"Ok," Alex said as he wiped a paw over his eyes, "so why does your source thing Sahara Square?"

"Weeelll, they may or may not have been some illlic-"

"Damnit Wilde!" The Polar Bear shouted as he slammed his fist into the table, "I don't care what they did or who they are. Just tell me what they _saw_."

There was silence once more on the other line. "You _would_ care, but I understand your point. My source says that Svinya and Skaal have a habit of taking mammals into Sahara Square and not coming back with them."

Alex nodded, "Understood, what are the properties?" His pocket vibrated, but the Bear ignored it. As much as he wanted to talk to his mate and kits, there were more pressing matters.

There sound of paper being sorted through, "Hmm, looks like there's an old factory...an apartment complex...and some warehouses. They're in different areas of Sahara Square too."

"All three are possible," muttered the Bear, he glanced over to McHorn to see the Rhino frowning. If they focused on one of the locations and were wrong, there was the possibility of losing any form of surprise they had. They could call upon Precinct Two to help cover the other areas, but after the incompetence of Precinct Six Alex was hesitant. A critical decision had to be made soon as the more time they spent thinking the less time Reggie had. What didn't help his concentration was his phone kept vibrating. "Bah," cried the arctic ursine as he pulled the phone out of his pocket, "this isn't the-"

He had several missed called from Gregor, but no voicemail. The Polar Bear was confused, what would he want now? The question was answered when a text appeared on his screen.

 _Hat txt Himmls mastmn-Gregor_

"He's so bad at texting," the ursine chuckled. He re-dialed the missed call. It rang twice before Gregor answered.

"Took you long enough," grumbled the Brown Bear, "and whatever snappy response you have, keep it to yourself. I have information that may help."

Alex groaned and closed his eyes, "Please tell me you didn't do anything illegal."

"Who did something illegal?" questioned Wilde.

"He's talking to Snarlov." chimed in Wolford.

"Quiet, both of you." commanded Alex, shifting his gaze between the Wolf and the phone, he sighed, "Go ahead Snarls, what you got?"

"Himils is the one controlling everything."

Alex blinked, "Say again?"

"Herbert Himils is the brains behind all of this. He's the one who has been pulling the strings."

"Wilde," started the Polar Bear, "what does your source say about Himils?"

"He wouldn't trust Himils as far as he could throw him," the Fox chuckled, "and believe me that isn't far."

"Could he be the one leading this whole thing?"

Another pause, "Huh, you know that would make sense actually. I thought that the businesses were shells _because_ they were under his name, but since everyone and their mothers' thinks that Kedi was in control it would be the perfect move. Have businesses connected to a legitimate businessmammal and then use them for illegal activities. Is it alright to admit that I'm jealous of the Pika?"

"We can deal with your inadequacies later," quipped Alex, "does this information help find Reggie?"

"Not really...but I would go with One Twenty-Seven Cactus Lane. It's the warehouses."

"Why's that?"

Wilde sighed, "Himils isn't a normal criminal. He would have been white collar worker who decided he wanted more, which means he's smart and cautious. I know the area, and the factory and apartment are in or too close to residential areas. Too many curious mammals about. The warehouses are out of the way, and unlike the factory they were simply used as storage. That means adventurers aren't going to explore there either. I dunno if he's thought **_that_** far ahead, but right now I wouldn't be surprised."

"We need proof Wilde. Can you give me anything more?" It sounded right to Alex, but he wasn't ready to bet another mammal's life just yet.

"No...But Grizzoli if it was my partner, that's where I would go."

Alex leaned his elbows on the table. He closed his eyes and breathed a calming breath. This may be their only chance, but it was still too messy to know if it was the right choice or not. A decision had to be made. "Thanks Wilde."

"Good luck." The call ended.

The arctic ursine brought his phone to his ear. "Did you hear that?"

"Got the address," Gregor responded, "see you there."

Before Alex could protest the call disconnected. He straightened up and looked at McHorn, "You ok with this?" While the Sergeant wasn't known for his talkative nature, if he felt there was a problem he would voice it. The Rhino gave a curt head nod. The Bear turned to Wolford, "Where's Fangmeyer?"

"She's in surveillance with the witnesses. They uh..." the lupine glanced away and then back at the Bear, "don't feel comfortable around other officers."

Alex nodded, not completely understanding but getting the overall message. "Have her collect their contact information and tell them to come back tomorrow. I don't want an incident while you two are gone because of a misunderstanding. After that meet me and McHorn in the motorpool, we're taking the 'Big Wheel' with us."

Wolford ears perked, "Never ridden in it before. I'll go help Fangmeyer to speed up the process." He grabbed his phone and rushed off.

The Polar Bear rubbed the back of his head, doubt creeping in. He turned to look at the cork board one last time, and groaned. In one of the pictures was Kedi holding Himils in his paw. It was assumed that this was a way for the Bobcat to control the Pika, but with this new information it seemed that the lagomorph was controlling the feline. "Let's go Dwayne," grumbled Alex with a wave of his paw, "we gotta rodent to squash."

The Megafauna snorted in response.

* * *

The "Big Wheel," as it was lovingly referred to by TUSC unit, was a Megafauna sized multi-purpose, operational, all-terrain vehicle that could support up to six Elephants at any given time. With its reinforced siding, individual seats in the back and handles on the ceiling; it allowed it to be used as a prisoner or high target individual transport. Alex wanted to make certain that the bastards who had Reggie would be simply moved from one mobile cell to a stationary one.

This also meant that the vehicle could easily handle the four occupants. The Polar Bear glanced back and saw Wolford sitting across from Fangmeyer. Both of them were dressed in tactical gear of Riot helmets, Kevlar vests with metal plating, additional forearm and lower leg bracers, paw coverings and armed with tactical tranq rifles. Even with them looking like a promotional poster for the Tactical Utility Strategic Command, the seats they sat in were too big. Thus Wolford, a fully grown Wolf, looked like a kit on Halloween. The excited grin and the non-stop wagging of the lupine's tale added to the imagery. The shatterproof glass separating the cab from the rest of the vehicle restricted sound, but if the wildly animated Wolf officer muzzle was any indication, than he may have truly been a kit.

Alex chuckled, "Boy, even Ralph looks small in those seats." The Bear turned his shoulders towards the Rhino driving, his own gear restricting his movement, "Remind me to convince Weaselton to sit in there so I can take a picture," the Bear laughed, "that _would_ be something!" The Polar Bear was trying to stay positive, too much time had passed and the sun was almost gone. It was becoming more and more likely that Reggie was dead and Himils and the gang vanished.

 _"Don't think like that Alex. Stay positive. You_ ** _Will_** _catch the bad guys and Reggie will be perfectly fine!"_

It was harder and harder for the ursine to pull out of the negative thoughts, but Alex needed to stay level headed. He closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair. The ursine needed a minute and closed his eyes.

In what seemed like an instant later, Alex was shaken awake by a large hoof on his shoulder. The Polar Bear blinked and stretched. "How long was I out?" The ursine gazed out the window to see it was completely dark. More importantly they seemed to be closing in on their destination. The street was deserted and surrounded by buildings with no lights on. They were all large seemed to have the same exterior design. Alex fixed his helmet, the visor falling down as he slept, and looked back at the Tiger and Wolf in the back. Wolford seemed subdued, and Fangmeyer appeared to be napping as well. The Bear turned back to the front of the vehicle. A police cruiser was parked on the side and a familiar looking Bear was leaning against it. "Pull over;" commanded Alex, "I'm guessing we're here."

The mammoth vehicle pulled off to the side of the road, needing several seconds before coming to a complete stop. The Bear banged a fist against the separating glass and opened up his own door. Sahara Square nights were always much cooler than the days, but the Polar Bear preferred the frigid colds of his home in Tundra Town. Still as a breeze kicked up and felt refreshing to the arctic ursine. The sound of doors opening and closing was followed by soft paw steps. Alex walked to the back of the vehicle and was met by Fangmeyer, Wolford, McHorn and Snarlov.

"Took you long enough," grumbled Snarlov, his arms folded, "thought I would have to go in myself."

"Only for us to come in arrest you for trespassing," remarked Alex with a frown, "You're suspended and you know it."

"I didn't hear the Chief say anything about a suspension," the Brown Bear retorted, examining his claws, "He simply said to 'hit the streets' which I have done accordingly."

The Polar Bear scoffed and rolled his eyes, he turned to Fangmeyer. "Were you able to get an extra shield?" She nodded and pulled two large mammal riot shields from underneath the seats. "It's my personal one, so don't scratch it up." It was said so dryly that the arctic ursine wasn't sure if it was a joke or not. Wolford chuckled so Alex joined in, but Fangmeyer's expression never changed. "Ok then, you heard the lady Snarl. Don't scratch it up or you're getting her a new one."

Snarlov huffed, "It's a riot shield. How's it **_not_** supposed to get scratched?"

Alex grinned, "Doesn't matter, just do it. Also," The Polar Bear slipped his helmet off. He tossed it to the Brown Bear and grabbed a shield from the Tiger. "It's to hide that ugly mug of yours."

"Shut up and let's go," Snarlov replied, slipping the helmet on, "I looked around and found two parked cars near the only building with power around here. If that isn't suspicious than I don't know what is."

Alex nodded and followed his partner. It was less than a block away that he saw two cars parked outside of a smaller building. One looked like an older black muscle car that at first glance looked to only have two doors. What caught Alex's eye was the newer looking dark blue four door sedan, and it even looked like one of the brake lights was missing its covering. The arctic ursine frowned as they got closer to it. "How'd you know they have power?"

"Checked the power box," Snarlov replied, still walking towards the warehouse, "seemed to be working at least."

Alex wanted to groan, but at this point it was now or never. "Ok, basic breech procedure. Fangmeyer or Wolford, do either of you have the ram?"

"Uh…" was the response from Wolford.

The arctic ursine stopped in his tracks and turned to the Wolf. "What do you mean 'uh'?"

Wolford shrank, "I thought that McHorn was the ram. I didn't know we needed an actual _ram_!"

"McHorn hasn't busted doors in the last eight years!" exclaimed Alex. His mind was trying to come up with a solution to what shouldn't have been a problem in the first place.

"Has anyone told that to McHorn?" asked Fangmeyer blandly, her gaze drawn behind the group.

Unlike his subordinates, the Rhino was not in Kevlar. All Megafauna were given hard shell armor for breeching. Given the size of the mammals wearing it, the Z.P.D. was able to have the hard shelling be a thin steel layer followed by Kevlar and soft padding for the blow. It covered their chest, arms, legs, hooves, and more importantly their heads. In other words the quiet Sergeant was a tank. The Rhino kicked at the ground, fifty yards from the warehouse.

"Everyone **MOVE** ," shouted Alex as he led the mad scramble to the door. "Gregor take right."

"Sweeping first or second?"

"Go second. I've got the armor. Fangmeyer on Snarlov. Wolford on me!" A chorus of 'Yes sir' was the officers' responses as they closed on the metal door in a hurry. Even before the Polar Bear lined himself up perpendicular with a door, the ground beneath his paws shook. A quick glance showed the twenty four year veteran of Precinct One barreling like a locomotive to a door that he wouldn't be able to get through without ducking. Alex hunched down, and he felt a paw on his elbow letting him know that Wolford was behind him. The shaking increased as the Megafauna gained speed. Alex braced against the wall and locked eyes with Gregor. There was silent communication between the two partners, one that only came with time and trusting one another. It was a simple message, " _I got you're back and you have mine,"_ the Polar Bear to gain some composure. No matter what happened, the officers would always protect the badge.

McHorn hit the door, breaking it off its hinges and flying backwards. Concrete fell from the frame as a cloud of dust was kicked up. Alex went through first, stepping past the door his shield held high as he moved to the left. He didn't have to look behind him to know that Gregor moved to the right, or that Wolford and Fangmeyer moved up the middle. The Polar Bear slammed his riot shield into the first mammal he found, it happened to be the Pangolin Ikan Skaal. The much smaller mammal thrown back into the wall, his head bouncing off, and then slumped against the floor.

Alex looked around to make sure no one else needed assistance as a hanging light swung back and forth, throwing shadows around the room. He saw Gregor pressing the Boar, Ivan Svinya, into the wall with his shield. Wolford and Fangmeyer had their rifles trained on a downed Bobcat, the feline seeming to have taken what was left of McHorn's charge. The Rhino was standing in front of something, the size of the Megafauna hiding what he was looking at. "Where's Reggie?" questioned the Polar Bear, looking around at the small room. The Sergeant turned towards the Bear, revealing a small chair holding a mammal.

The mammal was an unconscious white Weasel, clothed only in a white undershirt and black pair of boxers. The left side of the mustela's face was a mess, completely swollen and bleeding from different cuts all along it. The paws of the Weasel were tied to the arms of the chair. Six of the eight digits of the mammal were bent in the wrong direction. All over the ermine's legs and arms were small cuts, all in different forms of healing. Blood had flowed down and around the chair, staining the mammal's fur rust color. Each breath was labored from the mammal as the inhale rattled with pain, and the exhale was short and forced. The Weasel looked close to death.

The arctic ursine's throat closed as he tried to give any form of order, **_ANYTHING_** , but the shock froze Alex. Finally the Polar Bear found his voice, "Re...Reggie?!"

"Wolford, come take care of Officer Weaselton," a low, gravelly voice commanded, "Do what you can and cut off the ties. Fangmeyer secure the Boar, tranq him for good measure." Alex watched as McHorn turned to Gregor, "Snarlov, once you're clear grab your cruiser and get ready to go. Paramedics will take too long. Head directly to Sahara Regional and call it to dispatch. They'll take care of the rest." The Megafauna looked at all the stationary officers around him and clapped his hooves, " **MOVE**!"

Alex wasn't given an order, but it was clear enough. Cuff the downed Pangolin and Bobcat just in case they wake up anytime soon. The shock that the officer was feeling hadn't worn off. The Polar Bear had seen dead, mutilated bodies that would make any horror movie seem underperforming, but it had never been anyone he had known. It had never been a mammal who he owed his life too. Skaal was still knocked out, lying on the floor as Alex approached the Pangolin.

 _"It would be so easy,"_ Alex thought darkly, _"I could simply take my shield and break his neck. Wouldn't take too much effort at all…"_ The Polar Bear stepped closer, his shield between his paws. He could do it. He could rectify all the wrongs Reggie had to endure. It would just take a little pressure…

A heavy hoof fell on his shoulder, stopping Alex in his place. "That isn't the way Alex," spoke McHorn, his grip tightening, "they _will_ face justice." The Megafauna's hoof lifted off the Polar Bear's shoulder. "We have another problem."

Alex turned to face the Rhino, "What?"

The Sergeant looked grim as his gaze was set on the door, "Himils isn't here."

* * *

Once Herbert Himils felt the table underneath him begin to shake, the small mammal slowly lowered himself to the floor. As soon as the door burst open, followed by the mammals of the Z.P.D., the lagomorph slipped through the open door and into the Sahara Square night. He ran as fast as his tiny legs would take him, ignoring the oversized muscle car that Kedi had driven him in. The Pika turned into an unknown alley and continued to put as much distance between him and the warehouse. After awhile Herbert needed to catch his breath. He leaned against a lamp post, the light casting a circle around him. He doubled over, the physical exertion more than the small mammal was used too. Herbert couldn't help but laugh. The Pika could have easily been caught or squashed in the frenzy, but instead he made it out free. Now all he needed to do was make it back to Tundra Town, stay low for a few weeks, and then reappear with a new crew and his plan still in place. The sound of clapping came from the lagomorph's left, catching his attention.

"Well I must say Herby I am _thoroughly_ impressed. You've been working right underneath Mr. Big's muzzle the entire time. You had the Z.P.D. chasing their tails, caused everyone to panic in Zootopia and brought back the one thing that both criminals and law abiding citizens don't want." A red Fox stepped into the light wearing a Z.P.D. uniform. The vulpine's smile was friendly, but the emerald eyes of the mammal shone with anger. "If you were smart, you would have cut your losses as soon as you found out the police were on you." The tod shook his head and sighed, "Then again if you _were_ smart, my partner and I wouldn't have been able to find out."

"Pa-Partner?" stuttered the Pika. The sounds of soft paw steps to his right had Herbert's head whipping around to see the new mammal. A grey doe dressed in a Z.P.D. uniform, her expression neutral and the amethyst eyes of the Rabbit staring unblinkingly at Herbert.

"See I've seen my partner kick many different mammals way above her size," started the Fox, catching the Pika's attention once more, "but I've never seen her hit someone her size before." The vulpine brought a claw to the side of his muzzle and tapped absentmindedly as the other stayed behind his back, "I wonder how far you'll fly?"

Herbert looked over to the Rabbit and saw her thump a hind paw on the ground. "You can't do this! It's illegal!?"

"Did you hear that Carrots? The criminal is _saying_ the police are illegal." The Fox chuckled, "That's adorable." The tod walked over to the lagomorph, gently placing a paw on Herbert's shoulder. "All you have to do to stop her is confess." The vulpine's voice was just above a whisper, but it sounded like a godsend to the Pika.

The Rabbit cracked her neck and bent low to the ground.

Herbert began to shake. He was between Officer Nicholas Wilde and Officer Judith Hopps of Precinct One. There was no escaping his predicament. The Rabbit moved and the Pika closed his eyes and cringed, " **Alright** , alright I admit it! I was the one who started bringing guns into Zootopia and stole money from the mammals I accounted for! I'll give you everything, just please stop her!?" The Pika felt a pair of cuffs wrap around his wrists. He opened his eyes slightly to see a smug look on Officer Hopps snout.

"Got it Nick?" she asked in a cheery voice.

Wilde sighed, "They just don't make criminal masterminds like used too…"

 ** _"Alright, alright I admit it!"_** Herbert heard his own words. He turned to see the vulpine holding a carrot. The Fox hit a button on the carrot, **_"Alright, alright I admit it!"_**

"Well that's a pretty good confession, if I don't say so fluff."

"Wait…" the events of the situation catching up to the Pika, "that doesn't count! You," Herbert pointed to the Rabbit, "threatened me! Therefore the confession is void!" The lagomorph began to laugh, he had done it again!

"Actually," the doe responded easily, "He threatened you." She pointed a digit at Wilde. "I had no plans to kick you." Her expression changed as she scowled at the Pika, "…but if I could-"

"Ok! That's enough Carrots," Wilde interjected, physically getting between Herbert and the angry Rabbit, "why don't you say what I know you want to say?"

Hopps stepped past the Fox with arms folded, she sighed. "It's called a hustle…"

"…Sweetheart!" Wilde finished, snapping his digit and pointing at Herbert. His expression became serious, "Herbert Himils, you're under arrest…"

* * *

Ralph was cradling Reggie close to his uniform in the passenger seat of Snarlov's cruiser. The Bear had the lights on and had radioed dispatch to have Sahara Regional on standby. The Wolf did his best to not bounce the Weasel too much as the vehicle whipped through the streets of Sahara Square. He never realized how small the mustela was. The lupine _knew_ he was small, but having a fellow officer huddled close to his chest while said officer fought for his life added another dimension to this thinking. The Wolf had done his best to treat all the visible wounds on the Weasel, but it was the internal ones that worried Ralph. They were three minutes out, they could make it!

Reggie stirred slightly, his breathing still labored. The young mammal's right eye opening slightly as it seemed to focus on nothing at all. "…Wolford…?" A small trickle of blood flowed out of the smaller mammal's mouth.

"It's me Reggie," begun the Wolf, trying to keep his voice calm, "We got you. You're safe now."

"I...know a…joke." Reggie said, taking rattling breaths as he tried to focus on the lupine.

"Tell me later, ok you party mammal!" Ralph responded, his emotions building up. _"Keep it together…"_

"What do…you call…a dead…Weasel…?" Reggie asked, seeming to not hear what the Wolf had said.

"Reggie, wha…"

The mustela's gaze once again focused on nothing, "Prob…lem…solved…" The Weasel let out a heavy breath and fell limp.

"Hey," started the Wolf, "Reggie, hey wake up!" Ralph became frantic, trying to check the smaller mammal's pulse. Tears formed and slowly fell down his cheek. "S-Snarlov!" He looked over to the Brown Bear to see the larger mammal looking at him.

The Bear snarled and gripped his steering wheel, "Hold on." The cruiser sped up further, the streets becoming a blur as the ursine leaned all of his weight into the accelerator.

Ralph straightened out the Weasel on his laps, ignoring everything except the Weasel. The Wolf placed a paw gingerly on the mustela's chest, but didn't feel any movement. He opened up Reggie's muzzle to find the mustela missing three teeth and still bleeding. The Wolf swiped the ermine's tongue to the side with a claw. "No breathing mask," Ralph stated as his body shook and head jerked back and forth as if to find one, "so we're gonna have to do this old fashion." The lupine looked at his co-worker one last time, "When you survive this Reggie, you're paying for all the tests I'm about to take." Ralph breathed a deep breath and clasped his muzzle over the smaller mammal's breathing all the air he built up into Reggie's lungs.

* * *

It was after 3 am and Adrian was finally leaving the station. He had enough time to go home, kiss his wife, sleep for three hours and then shower and do it all over again. The Bull only allowed himself to leave once the preliminary reports from his officers came in. Kedi Puankulak, Ivan Svinya, Ikan Skaal, and most importantly Herbert Himils had all been arrested and booked. Former Detective Vernon Blackpaw had cleared out his desk and locker of all personal items, under the scrutinizing gaze of Lieutenant Howlington and Sergeant Higgins. Detective Zirafa was suspended for three weeks with unpaid leave. The Okapi's future a little undetermined, but either way the Cape Buffalo would give him something he rightfully deserves. Officer Gregor Snarlov was also suspended for a month unpaid, effective immediately with the possibility of more consequences to be determined. Good intentions or not, the Brown Bear had stepped way out of line, and an example needed to be made. He desperately wanted to suspend Hopps and Wilde for some break of the rules, but as the smartass Fox pointed out, there was nothing they did wrong.

The final piece of news that removed the Cape Buffalo from his desk was on Officer Weaselton. As reported by Officer Wolford, the young mammal's heart did stop briefly. Thankfully through quick action by the Wolf officer and the staff at Sahara Regional being prepared, they were able to restart the mustela's heart. Any effects from the lack of oxygen to the brain won't be known until he wakes up, but at least they were able to stabilize Weaselton. Afterwards was the call to his aunt, uncle and sister. There was crying, screaming, and cursing. Adrian had assured them that while they couldn't see Weaselton right away, as soon as they could he would let them know. It didn't stop any of them from heading directly to the hospital.

There was evidence to bag and statements to take, leading with an audio recording of a confession from Herbert Himils. A damaged cell phone was also found at the scene, crushed accidently by Sergeant McHorn, but the techs assured the Bull that they could still get information off of it. Deputy Chief Howlington was trying to get back into Adrian's good graces by handing over any evidence they found at Reggie's apartment and the "Cat's Meow." It would take much more than that for the Cape Buffalo to look past this blunder.

Adrian stepped off the elevator, finding that the silence that he had enjoyed earlier now almost lulled him to sleep. Thankfully he didn't live too far away, and had asked Saburo to set up a ride for him to get home. The Bull didn't like using the Police Force as his own taxi company, but it was either that or risk an accident. His wife would kill him if he didn't make it home in one piece. As he strolled past the front desk, an officer's voice caught his attention. Sitting at the front desk painting her hooves was Officer Antlerson. She also happened to be talking on her personal phone.

The Chief walked over to the desk and leaned on it, staring at the kudo officer until she looked at him.

She noticed the Cape Buffalo and finished her call. "Can I help you?" She asked with little courtesy.

"Officer Antlerson," begun the tired Bull, "I just wanted to tell you that if you disrespect me or any other subordinate like you did yesterday than I would consider your employment here unnecessary. Is that understood?" The smaller herbivore stared at the Cape Buffalo, mouth agape. "There are going to be changes around here _Officer_ ," Adrian continued, "and one of them will be how we treat one another. _Is that clear_?"

The kudo caught on to the underlying meaning, and quickly saluted the Chief. "Ye-yes sir!" A small smudge of green nail polish not plastered her forehead.

"Excellent," the Chief responded, giving his own salute back, "have a good rest of your night officer." He walked away and out the doors. The Bull's words echoing in his mind. "Change should have come a long time ago," the Bull muttered as he continued down the steps, "Now I'm going to make sure it _happens_."


	37. Consequences

**Hello Readers,**

 **Less action than the last eight or so chapters, but I believe a necessary one to continue the story. Criticism always welcome and I hope you enjoy!**

 **-CG**

* * *

 _Reggie tried to scramble away from his father. Claws digging into the carpet as the frantically moved towards the study door. He couldn't see out of his left eye, but his right was locked on the exit._

 _"Where you dink you's goin Regg!" His father growled, "Lessons ain't ova."_

 _The "Lessons" that his father taught him stopped being about how to hurt other mammals and started becoming an almost sadistic ritual between the two. The adolescent would try to get questions right that were posed by the adult. If Reggie got it right, then another question was right. If he got it wrong, the older Weasel would hit him. The beatings normally would only leave bruises easily hidden under his fur, but lately the older male had hit Reggie hard enough to make him bleed. The last several weeks had left the young mammal with injuries that were hard to explain away. He only just got lucky by telling Mary that he fought a bully at school and got beaten badly. This night, his father was possessed._

 _Reggie had almost reached the door, before a powerful blow to the back of his knee had him tumbling forward. He scrambled to his back and saw the maddening sight that was his father. His dad's eyes were completely open, his muzzle stretched in a painful looking grin. The older mustela grabbed the front of Reggie's shirt._

 _"Ready for round two?" His father asked, the smell of alcohol reeking off of the older Weasel. In one quick motion, a fist smashed into the side of Reggie's head. "How you gonna get out of this one..._ _ **Kiddo**_ _."_

 _Reggie raised his arms above his face, hoping to block some of the blows. The young mammal shouted the only word that could save him. "_ _ **Mommy**_ _!?"_

* * *

 _Reggie had gotten up early this morning to get ready. An old, ill-fitting suit was the best clothes he had to go to the cemetery. The sleeves stopped below his wrists and the pants were tight in areas they shouldn't have been, but still he got dressed. The young mammal didn't want to go, but mom had mentioned wanting to go see dad. Worrying about how the older female had been acting, Reggie got dressed. He moved slowly as he pulled his shirt on, trying not to make too much noise as Mary slept in their shared bedroom. The bruises from the Rainforest Lord's initiation were still fresh. He had simply told his a lie about some mammal starting some trouble. As weak as it was, she didn't even question it. The young female found some ice for her brother and wrapped in a cloth towel for the swelling. Reggie desperately wished they had some form of pain pills. The only pills of any kind were his mother's sleeping pills, and the young mammal didn't think they would help._

 _"Mom?" Reggie called, closing his bedroom door behind him, "You up yet?" Normally the older female was up, either chain smoking another pack of cigarettes or midway through her next bottle of wine. She was never violent like dad, so Reggie didn't mention it. His mother was barely there mentally most days. If not for Duke and Duchess, the young mammal is sure Mary would have starved._

 _Reggie walked to the kitchen and poked his head through the doorway. The mustela was met with empty, dirty space and what he knew were bare cupboards. He frowned. Normally his mother was in kitchen in the morning, staring at the tiles. The young mammal trudged over to the older female's room. "Mom, you awake?" He knocked on the door, but no response. Finally he turned the knob and pushed the door open._

 _Still in bed was his mother, but instead of being under the covers she was lying on top. The female was wearing a white dress, one that the young mammal recognized as her wedding dress, and looked to be peacefully asleep. There was something off, but the Weasel wasn't sure what. Her paws were clasped onto a silver frame that held a picture of his mother and father when they were younger. Reggie frowned, he smelled alcohol. A cursory glance found a wine bottle that had fallen off the bed, spilling its contents on the carpet._

 _Something was definitely wrong. The young Weasel walked cautiously into the room. His eyes moved about the room, trying to pick up the missing piece to the puzzle. The mustela found it as his gaze found a small orange pill bottle with a white cap. The bottle was his mother's pills, and they were just slightly hidden in the crook of her arm. The young mammal went to reach for them, a paw outstretched when he snapped it back. His mother was cold...too cold._

 _The sound of a door opening drew the male's attention. "Mary can't see her like this!" Reggie frantically thought as he willed his legs to move towards the doorway. It became harder and harder for him to breathe, but he reached the opening before his sister arrived. Huffing, Reggie put himself between Mary and the room. "Mom's still sleeping," blurted out Reggie, trying and failing to keep his composure._

 _Mary was rubbing her eyes and let out a tired yawn, "Ok Regg, I'm gonna get ready then."_

 _"I don't think she's feeling well," added the male nervously, "I think we're going to see dad another time."_

 _The young female blinked hard before yawning once more, "Ok." She turned and went back to the room. "Do you think I can play with Theresa then?" Mary said it offpaw, but Reggie saw his opportunity._

 _"Why don't you get ready and go over now. Maybe they'll have some leftover breakfast for you." The female hummed in response before opening the door and walking back into the bedroom. Once the door closed, Reggie let out a tired sigh and glanced back at his mother. Duke would be over soon and the young mammal knew that his uncle would try to take Mary and him away. The throbbing in his side reminded the Weasel that he was stuck. The only way out of the R.F.L. was by blood._

* * *

 _The balled up fist of the Cheetahs detective collided with Reggie's jaw. "We know you did it RJ, so just admit it!"_

 _The young mammal spit on the interrogation room floor, "How many times I gotta tell you, it was Tommy. As in Big Tommy. The leader of the Lord's! Why won't you believe me.?"_

 _"Oh please," added the Gazelle detective, leaning past his partner into Reggie's view, "everyone knows Tommy doesn't leave his territory. You're going to have to do better than that!"_

 _"We know you killed the Ferret! Probably getting your rocks off." The Cheetah sneered, "You sick bastard. Just like your old mam."_

 _"Her name was Crystal," snarled Reggie as he fought against the pawcuffs keeping him in his chair. The cuffs were so tight that his digits felt like they were broken. "And if you motherrutters did anything more than eat donuts and piss in the wind than maybe you would know that!"_

 _The Gazelle responded by shoving his forearm into Reggie's throat, pushing the Weasel's chair off kilter. The young mammal's head bounced off the floor, dazing him momentarily. The pale light of the interrogation room cast the mammal standing over him in shadow._

 _"Ya a killa Regg...just like ya old mam..."_

 _The voice didn't fit. It wasn't the Gazelle or Cheetah. This wasn't how the event for the Weasel the first time. "This is a dream... murmured Reggie, "...or memories..."_

 _"Little column Ae, little column Bee," the shadowy figured replied, "course it coulda be summin else too."_

 _Reggie rose off the ground and out of his seat. He felt as if he was floating. The only light source was above the young mammal. It shone a circle around the two figures, with the ring surrounded entirely by pitch darkness. The mustela focused on a familiar looking figure in front of him._

 _The figure was slightly shorter Weasel with similar black, beady eyes dressed in a coal black suit with a scarlet red button down. A black tie and black wide brimmed hat topped off the attire. The other male sneered, "Wha colla ya wearin anymore? Issit green an black or jus all blue?"_

 _"_ _Better than your colors," retorted Reggie with a snarl, "of course any are better than dirt brown and bone white."_

 _Rick cackled, "You's gotten funny kiddo, I'll gives ya dat! Course ya still talk dat way dat your mama taught ya!" The older Weasel laughed for awhile before settling down. He straightened his tie, "It's time ta talk, mam to mam."_

 _"Lemme know when another mam shows up," shot Reggie, "I would love to talk to them."_

 _"Hey," growled Rick, "I ain't da best fatha, but I'm still dat. I did wha I had ta do an I ain't ashamed of nuffin."_

 _"Oh, really? Then I guess what you did to me and mom was perfectly fine! How about all those mammals you killed? Don't you feel bad for_ _ **ANY**_ _of the crimes you committed!?"_

 _The con huffed and then sneered with a shrug, "I's did wha I had ta do. Ya know ta keep ya and ya sister fed."_

 _"I forgot how much we_ _ **ATE**_ _all those years you were a useless drunk." Reggie sighed heavily, "I don't know why I'm arguing with you. You're not real and I'm probably dead."_

 _"You's always so wrong! Taught ya were betta den me too's." Rick smirked, "Course ya neva were betta. Ain't dat right RJ. Or shoulds I call ya Xandy Claws. Ha! Ya more me den you's are ya motha!"_

 _"That's not-"_

 _"Spares me!" Interrupted Rick, "Just cause ya haven't kills nobody yet don't mean ya ain't a killa. I didn't kills till much lata." His grin turned wicked, "Besides whatcha call dat business wit Rameo. Some littles messin around? Or watta bout Himils? Ya_ _ **Really**_ _wanted ta kills him! Or dat sweet doe dat-"_

 _"Stop it!" cried Reggie, not able to take it anymore, "I'm not like You. I don't want to hurt mammals. I just want to_ _ **help**_ _!"_

 _"Like ya helped Crystal?" Rick pressed. Reggie froze. "Or how bout da gyrls. Dey probably's already gotta new pimp cause of you's. All dat hard work fa nuffin. Cause you's weak an cry for ya mommy." The older Weasel smiled tiredly, "Face it kiddo, ya jus like me's."_

 _The light went out and Reggie was plunged into darkness._

* * *

Adrian slammed his office door shut. The Bull had just finished a three hour de-briefing for the Mayor over the arms bust. The fact that the smuggling spanned over four different districts and involved four Precincts for evidence made the entire case a nightmare. Mayor Kale's displeasure, in the Cape Buffalo's opinion, was the elder Stallion's view of how cases normally went. True smaller cases could be cut dry, but the Bull's experience taught him the larger cases caused the biggest headaches. The one the Chief had at the moment, while large, was smaller than the Nighthowler case one. He sighed as the large mammal lowered himself into his office chair. A hoof came to his brow as he tried to rub away his pain. The meeting should not have been three hours, but it wasn't possible for Adrian to tell the mayor where to shove the horse's intrusion into the Bull's Precinct. The Chief pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Clawhauser, send up my first appointment."

"Ok Chief!" replied the bubbly feline.

The delay from the Mayor meant a delay in the large mammal's own schedule. It had been three days since the arrest of Himils and his associates, and during that time much of the evidence had been sorted through. Including the proof necessary to put the Pika away for a long time, was the breakdown of procedure by his officers. There were the obvious breaks in the form of Snarlov and Blackpaw, but the smaller breaks were the ones that worried him the most. It was those tiny oversights that could destroy airtight cases and allow criminals to feel invincible. Adrian had planned for the meeting to be a pain, though never for the length, and so had made the decision to start with the easiest problems first. There was a knock on the door. "Come in," grunted the Bull.

The door open fully and revealed Officer Alexander Grizzoli. The arctic ursine shuffled in and closed the door behind him. He cautiously walked forward and stood at attention behind the chairs in front of Adrian's desk. "You…uh…wanted to see me Chief?"

"Sit," The Chief commanded. The Bull glared sternly at the officer as he watched the Bear take a seat. He intertwined his hooves together as he leaned forward. The Chief allowed the veteran officer to stew in uncertainty. "I will give you an opportunity to guess why you are here."

"Failure to inform Precinct Two about our raid, failure to inform you until after the raid, and finally I didn't radio into our own dispatch."

"Impressive Grizzoli," commended the Chief, "All three reason…now why don't you explain yourself."

The ursine shifted uncomfortably, "Honestly Chief, I didn't think about. I was focused on…the task at paw…"

Adrian nodded. It was understandable that the officers assigned to finding Officer Weaselton would forget the nuances that came with the job, but that didn't make it acceptable either. "The purpose of these measures is to allow for other officers to know your location if a situation were to turn sour. It would allow for swift response from any Precinct, no matter of location. If the raid had ended differently, and Himils had been prepared for you, there would have been no possibility of reinforcements." The Chief spoke calmly. Grizzoli had acted hastily and without forethought, but experience told the Cape Buffalo that the Polar Bear would remember this. Proof of that alone is the veteran officer's understanding of what he had failed to do.

"Grizzoli, you're a good officer. Before your need for a break you were good, and since coming back you have proved how valuable you are to this Precinct. It is because of this that I expect _better_ from you. I have decided to only give you a verbal reprimand, but I want you to understand that I _will_ be watching you. Is that clear?"

The tension that had built during the Chief's speech left the Polar Bear. A small smile crossed over the ursine's muzzle before disappearing in the need for professionalism. He stood and saluted, "Thank you sir!"

Adrian gave a lazy salute back and watched as the veteran officer exited his office.

There was the sound of constant beeping as Reggie struggled to open his eyes. Only one seemed to be responding. The young mammal's right eye opened slowly, trying to gradually take it the warm light from above. All the mustela could see was white. He blinked slowly as pain radiated throughout his entire body. It felt as though all his nerves were on fire.

The Weasel tried to move, but none of his limbs responded. The beeping sped up. He tried to call out, but found his mouth trapped shut. It was then that the young mammal noticed something down his throat. He reflexively swallowed, but it wouldn't move. Reggie started to panic, his eye darting around to find a way out. The beeping sped up. " _Still trapped...struggle...Don't die!"_ The mustela's muscles strained as he willed his arms to move. The beeping became as frantic as Reggie's heart. He couldn't breathe. Finally he felt his right arm rise. "Reggie!" a voice exclaimed. Reggie kept trying to move. He had to escape. Fight or flight. The young mammal felt someone grab his arm. "Don't Regg, you're gonna hurt yourself!"

Tears started to blind his vision as Reggie tried to free his arm from his captor. A paw came to the young mammal's cheek as he instinctively jerked away from the touch. The paw eventually one and cupped the Weasel face. The mustela closed his eye and a digit wiped over it. "Shh…it's ok Reggie. You're safe now," the voice soothed, the digit rubbing Reggie's cheek, "You're little sister is here for you." The beeping slowed as the Weasel calmed down. He felt safe. The young mammal gingerly leaned into the touch. Reggie opened his eye and saw Mary.

She was the one caressing his face tenderly. Her eyes were red, but she was smiling. "Hey there," she started tiredly, "glad to see you awake."

The relief Reggie felt at seeing his sibling was immediate. She was safe and so was he. His eyelid felt heavy, for keeping it open seemed to drain all of the Weasel's strength. His gaze fluttered as the mustela struggled to stay awake.

"Go ahead and sleep Regg. You need the rest."

As if her words were all the young mammal was waiting for, Reggie closed his eye. The last thing he felt before drifting off was Mary's paw still on his cheek. Reggie was home.

* * *

The Bull was signing authorization papers. It was for simple things, such as request for warrants, overtime request and other mundane tasks that needed his approval. If anyone had told Adrian how much paperwork was involved with being Chief, he may have reconsidered taking the position. Granted his time as Assistant Chief had been filled with more paperwork than his time as Lieutenant and so on and so forth. His intercom buzzed.

"Chief, Nick and Judy are back." the voice of Clawhauser said.

The Chief pressed the button to respond, "Send them up."

The Bull knew exactly how this conversation was going to go. First he would deliver the bad news. Hopps would exclaim disapproval; Wilde would make some sarcastic comment about the Justice system and Adrian's headache would temporarily explode into blinding pain. They had done this dance so many times that it was old hat to the Bull. As good as the two were as officers, they were just as troublesome.

The Chief heard the two small officers "whispering." This meant that the officers were trying to be discreet, but the outbursts from the Rabbit and the common snide remarks of the Fox allowed for the Bull to easily guess what they were discussing.

"Nick, why do you think the Chief called us up?" the Bull said in a falsetto tone, doing his best to mimic the Rabbits.

"Beat's me fluff," the Chief responded, his voice dropping slightly to try and match the Fox's "maybe old Buffalo Butt needs help polishing his horns." The Cape Buffalo was _well_ aware of the nickname that Wilde liked to call the Bull. As much as he would love to discipline Wilde for the use of that infernal name, doing so would have been hypocritical considering the names that Adrian used to call his own superiors. He would never approve of disobedience, but cracking down on name calling directed at him personally was not worth his limited time. There was a knock on his door. "Enter," the Chief commanded gruffly.

The door opened a fraction, and in slipped Officer Judy Hopps and Officer Nick Wilde. Both had been called back from patrolling for this meeting. The two officers sat in the same chair, as they did in Rollcall.

Adrian leaned forward with his hooves flat on the desk. He would wait until the Wilde had his quip and then press forward. The Chief knew he wouldn't have to wait long.

"Well Chief," began the vulpine officer with a half lidded expression and trademark smirk, "I know that I'm pretty, but if you want to see me you should really just take a pic-"

"Confessions out," interrupted Adrian, not wanting his officer to continue that thought.

"What!?" cried Hopps, rising from her seat, "why?"

"It's ok Carrots," replied Wilde, a paw grasping onto her shoulder as if to stop her from jumping, "I'm sure that the judge who threw out the evidence will **_really_** enjoy his new vacation home."

"Judge didn't throw it out. I did."

"Well now I'm confused Chief," responded the Fox, "I always thought you were a smart mammal."

"I am smart Wilde," the Bull retorted, he stood and planted his hooves on his desk, "So smart that I know the law, and I don't **_Need_** a judge to tell me when a confession is coerced."

"Wait Chief!" Hopps tried to interject.

"Can it Hopps! If I want your opinion, I'll _threaten_ to have someone **_kick you through a wall!?_** " The Rabbit lost her steam and her ears fell back. "Now thanks to you two, the case could be in jeopardy because _once again_ both of you played it fast and loose." The Bull snorted and shook his head as he tried to calm his breathing down. It wouldn't help if he had a heart attack at work. Adrian let out a heavy sigh and sunk back into his chair. He ran a hoof over his eyes. "Two weeks no pay. I would prefer to suspend you both and throw you out the door, but I'm four officers down at the moment. Don't consider this me letting you off lightly." The Chief glared hard at the partners to press the point.

"Chief is there anything we can do to correct this?" asked Wilde, his tone serious and question sincere.

"Stay far away from the case," grumbled the tired Bull, "but before you do that, find me a witness for the information you brought in."

"Sir?"

"I went over the dossier you were given by your 'anonymous source'," the Bull air quoted, believing it was anonymous as much as he believed he was a goat, "and talked to the attorney who will be handling the case. He agrees that because of your coercion, the defense will suggest that the information is tainted or falsified. So if you can bring in the mammal who collected the information as a witness, and the Prosecution focuses on the info that Officer Weaselton may have known or is in public, than we still be able to use it to nail all of them."

"Sir," Hopps started, her ears still low but her expression determined, "I am willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that justice is served."

"No Hopps, you should be willing to do what is _legal_ to ensure justice is served." The Bull gave the Rabbit a disapproving look before shifting it over to the Fox. The vulpine's ears had lowered as well, but his expression remained blank. "Both of you should." Wilde nodded and the Bull let out another sigh. "There is one more thing I need to talk to you about Hopps." The doe cocked her head in confusion. "This is a private conversation. I'm well aware that you will tell your partner afterwards," The Cape Buffalo glanced at the Fox who simply shrugged, "I still prefer to have this conversation between us."

"Oh…ok Chief," Hopps said hesitantly. "Guess I'll meet up with you afterwards Nick?"

"It's ok fluff," Wilde responded easily with a shrug, "I know when I'm not wanted." The vulpine winked at the Bull and gave a quick salute. "You two don't do anything I would do!" He left with a swish of his tail.

There was silence as the two remaining mammals as Wilde's antics sunk in. "I'm sorry about that sir," Hopps apologized, "He can be…"

"An ass" supplied Adrian as his gaze stayed on the door, "Well aware of that officer." He turned back to the doe, her nervousness obvious. "No reason to be alarmed Hopps. This conversation could be a good thing."

"A good thing, sir?"

The Bull nodded curtly, "How do you see your career at the Z.P.D.?"

The Rabbit's brow furrowed, "I…always wanted to be a cop, so I never too much about what else I wanted to do."

"You _are_ a good officer Hopps, but to be a detective you need to be better."

Her ears shot up, "Detective!? Don't I need to be in my fifth year before I can even apply?"

Adrian leaned back into his chair, and clasped his hooves together. "Changes are necessary Hopps, and I believe that you could be a great detective. Now," the Chief held up a hoof, "this is an important decision, and I cannot authorize it until after the two weeks are over, but I want you consider it and get back to me with your decision."

The doe nodded enthusiastically, "Yes sir!"

Adrian nodded once more, "Good, dismissed." Hopps jumped out of her chair and bolted for the door. The Bull watched, amused at the kit-like energy from his smallest officer. Yes, she could be a great detective.

* * *

Reggie was propped up in the bed. He wanted to sit, but the doctors didn't want any more than necessary exertion from the Weasel. Apparently sitting up was on the list. Thankfully the nurses had removed the tube down this throat, so the mustela felt some slight comfort with that. He sat, not focusing directly on anything going on around him. Mary was still there and she was joined not too long after by Duchess, Duke hadn't showed up yet. His aunt fussed over the young mammal's pillow placement and comfort as his sister watched quietly. Every now and then the brother saw the sister wipe her eyes, but since he had to turn his head to look it was quite rare.

The doctor had just left, explaining to Reggie how serious his injuries were. The young mammal didn't believe that he needed to know how bad of shape he was in. His wrapped paws, chest, muzzle and eye told him more than enough to know what type of condition the Z.P.D. found him in. Still a Pika doctor named Fieldcrest explained in greater detail what had occurred to Reggie. Six of his eight digits were dislocated and needed to stay in individual splints for at least four weeks. There was a hairline fracture in the left side of his jaw and fracture in his "orbital bone." Reggie thought he meant eye and wanted to ask how someone fractures an eye, but the gauze keeping his mouth closed reminded him not to speak. The cuts to his arms and legs, while painful as they were being applied, were non-threatening and shallow. They may leave scars, or they may not it was impossible for the Pika to tell. Finally his three cracked ribs. There was concern of internal bleeding, but if there was any it seems to have stopped. Still the Weasel was going to be kept on coagulates for the next day just to make sure, but if he felt any discomfort or confusion to let a nurse know immediately.

Reggie was looking at a minimum of six weeks out of work, at least that's what the doctor said, three of those weeks on a liquid diet and the last three for soft foods for his jaw. He wouldn't be allowed to do any form of heavy lifting during that time, and would need physical therapy for his paws and for any muscle degeneration during his healing as well. The lagomorph warned that it was quite possible that the Weasel would never reach the same physical fitness that he once was. Still he continued that with the physical therapy, Reggie could once again get back to a healthy state.

The young mammal responded the only way he could, by nodding his head, but had to leave the questioning to Mary and Duchess. Reggie felt so helpless, so powerless. He hadn't felt this worthless since he was a kit and his father was still alive. The one thing that the Weasel was always able to rely on was how his body never let him down. No matter the fights, weather or hunger, the young mammal knew he would make it out alive. Now though, as he sat in a hospital bed after being told that he may never truly be that way again, Reggie couldn't help but feel betrayed.

"Regg, you's ok?" asked Duchess. The male turned to look at his aunt. She seemed to be done her fussing and now was sitting on the side of the bed. His aunt reached out a paw to touch his forearm, "I's know dis is toug-" Before her paw landed, Reggie had jerked his arm away instinctively. Both of the mammals were shocked, the male more so. There was pain in Duchess' eyes as they glassed over. She went to move, "Sorry Regg, I…I'll's let ya be." The female started to slide off, but was stopped by the male.

Reggie reached out with his bandaged paw and tried to grab her, but the bandages and splints only allowed for him to place his over hers. He looked to her eyes and tried to express all his sorrow through his one. She seemed to understand as she climbed back into the bed. He leaned on her shoulder as he felt her arm wrap around his. The young mammal closed his eye as he once again felt exhausted.

"It's ok Regg. We all's here for ya, an we always will."

The mustela felt tears running down his cheek. He had cried too much already, but still the tears fell. Reggie was torn between being humiliated that he had been broken so easily and wanting nothing more than to never leave Dutch's embrace. He settled for nuzzling into the female's shoulder and letting sleep overtake him once more.


	38. Guilt

**Hello Readers,**

 **Here's the next installment. There may be a delay on a chapter in the next two weeks, but I cannot say for sure when. There is another OW chapter that I'll put out tomorrow, and probably more to come in the weeks to come. Let me know what you think and criticms always welocme!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Three weeks. That's how long it's been since Reggie's assignment had been over. Two of those weeks in Sahara Regional, being poked and prodded just to make sure he was healing correctly. It had been one week since he had moved back into his aunt and uncle's apartment. Not paying your rent for three months raises suspicion with the landlord apparently. Thinking that the Weasel had skipped out on the apartment, the old Sand Cat simply had the young mammal's stuff put in storage to be sold at a later date. Duke later talked to the small feline and was able to take the property out of the landlord's paws.

It was Reggie's fault and he knew it. He should have set up payment somehow or let the landlord know. The two reasons why he didn't were that he didn't expect it to last three months and Blackpaw had told him to not tell his family so he had taken that as don't tell anyone. Both his aunt and uncle told the young mammal to fight this. Even if Reggie wasn't there, the landlord didn't go through the appropriate channels for the eviction and the Weasel could get his place back. Was what the Cat did illegal? Yes it was. Was it worth the time and energy to fight it? No it wasn't.

So Reggie laid in his old bed, too small so his hind paws hung slightly over, facing the ceiling in a room no bigger than a broom closet with drawers underneath and a hook on the wall. The walls were the same brown as the rest of the apartment, with only small window breaking up the monotony of the color. A bare bulb hung overhead, off as the light from Sahara Square was enough to light up the room. The Weasel's gaze was fixed on the bulb.

The first step out of the hospital should have felt like freedom, instead it only reminded the mustela of his limitations. Normally it was simply a matter of minutes for Reggie to climb the four stories of the apartment complex, but the first time up had taken a half hour. Things didn't get better when the young mammal finally made it to the apartment. The instructions from the doctor were very clear, Reggie had to sleep either elevated or sitting up. The bed in the hospital allowed him to sleep elevated, but there was no real way to do that at the Weaselton apartment. So every night for the past week, the mustela tried to sleep in the love seat, tried being the key word.

He shouldn't have even been lying in his bed, but it was the only way to be alone. Duchess had decided, against the young mammal's protest, to stay at the apartment just in case he needed help with anything. She meant well, but between her constant fussing, Mary's unwillingness to meet his gaze and Duke's not so subtle hints about leaving the Z.P.D., Reggie just needed time to think. Granted when he did have that time, all he could think about was thecrimes he committed while undercover. The Weasel's father's words repeated in his mind, dream or not, their words weren't wrong. Reggie was a killer, and it was only by chance that he hadn't killed any of the mammals that crossed his path He had been so close to going through with it time and time again, only to pull back at the last moment. How long until he finally went through with it and took another mammal's life? Why didn't he just admit what he really was? His father's son.

Reggie felt a cough building in his chest and slowly sat up. He gripped a pillow tightly to his chest as he coughed up what felt like were his lungs. Doctor Fieldcrest had warned the Weasel that this would happen, and the first time in the hospital Reggie struggled against it. It was simply his lungs trying to clear themselves and expand to full capacity. Tears fell as the spasms caused pain to radiate throughout his chest. Finally they subsided and Reggie put the pillow down. He then began taking slow, deep breaths. It still hurt, but much less than the coughing fit.

The Weasel let's out the final breath before standing gingerly. Even subtle movements could cause the young mammal pain, so everything he did was done slowly and carefully. Reggie gripped the handle to his door as tight as possible. The splints still on his digits didn't allow for much of a grip. After the mustela's paw slipped for the third time trying to turn the door knob, Reggie sighed defeated and leaned his head against the door. He gave it three quick kicks and then straightened up. It was several seconds before the door opened to his aunt.

Even when not going out, Duchess dressed in extravagant color. The vibrant mixes of different shades of green made the female look a small tree. Her bracelets jingled lightly when she pushed the door open. The look of concern on her face stung Reggie more than his inability to open a door. "Still can't get it yet Regg?"

The male didn't respond as he walked past to the couch. The young mammal's destinations seemed to be limited to the living room, his room and the bathroom. Reggie trudged through the hallway, pictures of his father seeming to laugh at his misery, when a knock came from the front door.

"Who's coulda be?" Duchess questioned. She squeezed past the slow moving and went to the door. Reggie watched from the hallway as it swung open to reveal at set of grey ears with black tips.

"Hello ma'am, I was hoping to see if Officer Weaselton was available." The voice of Hopps was clear and there was no denying who it was.

Reggie froze, his heart racing and breaths swallowing. The only officer he had seen was Chief Bogo. Using the only way he could communicate, Reggie shook his head at the suggestion of others seeing him. He couldn't face his co-workers. They must know about everything he did and even worse Crystal. Blackpaw had threatened to leave it out, and the Weasel saw no reason why the Mountain Lion would hold back. There was only one logical reason in the panicking mustela's mind for why Hopps was here. She was here to arrest him.

His crimes must have been considered bad enough for him to face prosecution. That must be it! Add his ties to the R.F.L., Crystal and being a technical pimp must be too much to keep Reggie out of prison. _"I gotta get out of here! They're going to take me away and do it again! I can't let them! I gotta get-"_

"Hey Regg?" Duchess spoke.

Reggie flinched. He had spaced out and just now saw that Duchess and Hopps were closer. His eyes darted between the two females. Something itched in the back of his mind that said there was something different about the Rabbit, but he couldn't figure out what. The young mammal realized he had been quiet for too long and needed to say _something_. "How can we help you today Officer Hopps?" He asked mechanically.

The doe glanced at the female Weasel before back to the male. "Er...as I said, Chief Bogo would like to see if you're up to coming down to the station to give your statement."

 _"Statement...yeah..."_ Reggie thought bitterly, _"And afterwards I get shiny new bracelets."_ The Weasel nodded, "Ok, let's go."

"Ar...Are you sure you're up for it?" questioned the Rabbit, "we can do this another time?"

"No its fine," murmured the Weasel, "Let's get this over with." The young mammal walked past the two females for the door. If they were going to arrest Reggie, than the Weasel wanted done sooner rather than later.

* * *

Judy was into her first full week as a Z.P.D. detective. Now she was not only the first Rabbit officer but the first Rabbit detective as well. It had been a much harder decision than when she first left Chief Bogo's office. It was only her that was receiving the promotion, which meant that she would be leaving Nick behind. The conversation was tough, and Judy would be lying if she said she didn't tear up, but in the end they both agreed that this was an important step for her. It didn't hurt that the sly Fox sweetened the deal by asking her to move in with him. Judy smiled at the memory and glanced at her charge. It disappeared immediately.

It had taken several minutes for the Weasel to traverse the stairs and some time for him to climb up into the borrowed cruiser. The entire ride was a one way conversation of Judy trying to make small talk and Reggie sitting sullenly. The young officer wasn't much for gossip, but he would humor the Rabbit. He rarely responded, but when he did it was closer to a whisper than his normal tone. It sounded as if he didn't use his voice much. It worried the detective and she did her best to keep her ears up.

The little information that was given to the officers by Chief Bogo on his condition painted a much different picture than what walked next to her. The physical damage was glanced over, at what the Rabbit assumed was because of the banal medical notes from the attending physician. Now, seeing the Weasel with his paws bandaged, bruises showing through the fur on his muzzle, and the constant wheeze whenever Reggie inhaled, it may have been for the safety of Himils that the Bull didn't go into further detail. The mental damage seemed even worse. The first thing that Judy noticed about the rookie officer on his first day was how tense Reggie seemed to be. She assumed that this was because of his dislike of her and Nick. After their reconciliation and partnership, the Rabbit learned that he simply was uptight when on the job. Now however, the Weasel seemed tense but for the wrong reason. Almost as if he may trip and break. Of course considering his physical injuries it was also possible.

The doe thought that once Reggie was back in Precinct One, that he would loosen up and act as his old self. That was not the case at all. Instead his unease only increased, and even the jubilant smile of Clawhauser didn't seem to help the young officer. In fact every interaction the Weasel had with his co-workers only increased his irritation. It wasn't long before Judy pushing her colleagues away and leading Reggie to Interview Room A. She knew that all the officers were simply worried about the rookie, but she could hear the young officer's breathing getting shallower. They finally made it to the room, already set up by the detective for the purposes of this interview.

It was a room that would have been considered small by any of the Megafauna on the force, but was more than large enough for the two smallest officers. There was a wooden table with two matching chairs, both with cushions for comfort. Two windows next to the door allowed for officers to look in on the process if necessary, and there were blinds to allow for privacy as well. On the table was a camera and tape recorder and several files that were relevant to Reggie. The doe walked easily to one of the chairs and hopped into the large seat. The cushion might as well have been a couch because of her size. She stood on the chair and looked over to the other side of the table, but saw no Weasel across from her. Judy glanced about and saw Reggie still near the door. "Is everything alright?"

"Aren't we…uh…"hesitated the Weasel, "…going down to interrogation?"

A brow rose on the detective, "Why would we?" The young officer shifted under the detective's gaze. Judy was honestly confused as to why they would. Reggie wasn't a suspect. Sure they could be used for interviews, but that was normally for either difficult witnesses or when extra security was necessary. She smiled reassuringly, "You're just answering questions." Reggie didn't seem convince. "How about you join me, and we can begin?"

The Weasel huffed, but walked over tentatively to the other chair. The doe watched the young officer closely, and even bent down to watch as Reggie approach the chair. Judy saw the mustela reach out a shaking paw to the large chair, before withdrawing it hastily. "I'll stand."

Judy frowned. She slid off her own chair and padded over to the Weasel. "What's wrong?" The doe reached out to the Weasel, but was stopped by Reggie backing out of her reach. It hurt when he moved and the Rabbit failed to keep her ears up. "Is something the matter Reggie?"

The Weasel glanced at the Rabbit before looking away. "No…just get me the paper I need to sign."

"Paper?"

"Let's not play dumb anymore Hopps," began Reggie bitterly, his voice barely above a whisper, "why bring me down here for an interview when you could do it at the apartment? The only reason for me to come down is if I'm going to be arrested."

"That's a big jump," commented the doe, paws on her hips, "it's also completely wrong."

"What am I supposed to think?" seethed the Weasel, he swiped a paw towards the door, "and everyone's talking to me like nothing's changed." His shoulders slumped and looked away, "I'm just a common criminal now."

Judy stepped closer to the young officer, "…like your father?" The Weasel stiffened and he looked at the doe. Before he could ask the question, the Rabbit pressed forward. "Why didn't you tell me your father was Rick? Did you not think I would understand?"

"I thought I was different than him…I found out I was wrong…"

"Reggie," started the detective, reaching out to her co-worker, "you are diff-"

"I'm the **_same_** ," shouted the mustela, "I hurt mammals for money and didn't stop. I **_almost_** killed a cop because it was going to help me! I could ha-" Reggie started coughing violently. His paws clutched to his chest as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Reggie!" cried Judy. The doe closed the distance with the intent on helping the young officer any way she could. She did not expect to be brought into a tight hug by the Weasel. The detective didn't resist and wrapped her arms around the mustela. Her ears stayed low as the mustela continued to cough painfully. Eventually it subsided and Reggie slowly breathed deeply. Judy instinctively patted him on the back. "You ok?"

The Weasel let go and stepped away from the lapine. The inside of his ears were red and looked embarrassed. "Sorry," he hoarsely begun, "I uh…need something to hold onto while I cough..." He scratched the back of his head, "Sorry if you felt uncomfortable…"

"Officer Weaselton," started Judy, giving the Weasel an amused look, "you know how physical Rabbits can be. A little hug for medical reasons won't cause ruin my view of you." She placed a paw gently on his shoulder, "Let me take you home. We can do this another time."

"No," Reggie grumbled forcefully, wiping the tears away from his eyes, "I want to get this over with so I don't have to worry about it. Can we...go somewhere else?" He sighed and looked towards the door, "No reason hiding what happened since everyone knows…"

"What are you talking about?"

The Weasel turned back to the Rabbit, "Blackpaw said he would tell everyone about Crystal." He shrugged, "You and Wilde know…but I was hoping others wouldn't find out…"

"What do _you_ mean that Nick knows?" Judy questioned, arms crossed and hind paw thumping on the floor.

Reggie's eyes went wide, "Didn't you tell Wilde? Because...you guys are a couple."

The Rabbit huffed, "I didn't realize that you thought so little of me." She glared at the mustela, "You told me that in privacy, and I would never tell anyone without your approval." The doe let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the side of her head. "That does explain one thing." Before Reggie could ask she jumped back onto her chair and grabbed the bottom file. Judy slid back down to Reggie and gave the young officer the file. "I found this in my new desk. It was Blackpaw's and was hidden among some other cold cases." The Weasel opened up the file and gasped. "On the night of August twelfth seven years ago, a grey Ferret by the name of Crystal Belette died in your arms. The detectives assumed your guilt because of your exclamation of how it was quote 'All my fault' unquote." She moved closer to the now shaking mammal. " _I_ know it's because you felt guilty over her being out that late with you, and that in a heartbeat you would change positions with her." Judy placed a paw on Reggie's arm, "There is nothing to feel guilty about. It was never your fault."

The young officer pinched his eyes closed as he fought against his emotions. It was several moments before Reggie spoke. "Wha-" he cleared his throat with his eyes still closed, "What does this mean then?"

"It means," Judy started slowly, leaving no room for misinterpretation, "that instead of being seen as a suspect, you're a witness." The doe smile awkwardly, "It's one of the reasons for having you come down today…I wanted to make your statement official for Crystal's case so that the Z.P.D. could reopen the case." The Rabbit's ears lowered once more, "I was worried about how you would react to it, especially after the last time I mentioned Crystal."

Shame flittered through Reggie's eyes. "I'm sorry about that Hopps. You didn't deserve that reaction from me and you're the Senior Officer. You..." he breathed deeply before letting it out slowly, "You were just trying to help."

"Just like now," Judy added. Reggie didn't meet her gaze, but he nodded in agreement. "Why don't we take a break and grab some lunch, my treat?"

The Weasel chuckled dryly, "We haven't done anything yet."

The Rabbit frowned, "Well…I think what's important now is you spend some time among your co-workers." She smiled brightly, "I know Ben wants to talk to you and he should be going on break soon." Reggie smiled weakly. "And Reggie," the young officer looked at the detective, "You are definitely nothing like 'Mad Rick,' and just remember he would have never felt guilty for anything he did." She wrapped an arm around Reggie's, "Now come on. There's some cricket fries out there with your name on it and _we're_ going to find it!"

The Weasel shook his head, "Sorry, no hard food for me right now."

Judy stopped in her tracks and gave the mustela a guilty look, "I didn't even think about that."

Reggie laughed, "Trust me; I didn't realize how much 'hard food' I ate until I got out of the hospital. It's been soups and smoothies for me so far."

"Well then," pepped up the Rabbit, "We'll get you a smoothie and something else!" Judy felt lighter, and with Reggie back in Precinct One everything was looking up.

The young officer sighed, "We'll see."

* * *

Nick sat in his darkened office, going over the video and audio recordings of witness statements for Weselton's case. The vulpine felt comfortable using his natural night vision as he watched the interviews. The past week had found him sitting behind a desk or heading over to Tundra Town to talk to witnesses. He was assigned to a task force that had been created. A package with information and photographs of different Precinct Six officers had Chief Bogo instructing Assistant Chief Pridmont to verify all the paperwork. Other than the Fox, Grizzoli, Higgins and Delgato had been assigned to the force with the possibility of any other officer being assigned to help as needed. This new assignment meant the vulpine officer was working overtime, getting all the information ready for the upcoming arrests. The door opened and light spilled through, causing the Fox to squint. "Seriously fluff I'm alright, go home."

"Never been called fluffy before," grumbled a deep voice. Nick turned to the door to see Chief Bogo standing in the doorway. "Course I've never was called 'Buffalo Butt' before you came in." The Fox swallowed with eyes wide in fear and ears flat. This was the day he died. "Relax Wilde," continued the Bull as he stepped into the office, "If I fired every mammal who insult me why," He grinned wickedly, "you would be the first."

Nick quickly stood out of his chair, trying to smooth over his facial features, "Chief, I can explain-"

"I imagine you could," groused the Cape Buffalo, "it would even be a believable reason. That is not the reason I am here though."

"You're not?" squeaked out the former con-mammal, he cleared his throat and smirked. "Of course you're not. If you would have you wouldn't have waited until late in the night, while I was alone…and in the dark." Nick stepped back and tried to keep his smile in place, "You doing alright Chief?"

"Can it Wilde and sit down." The Bull commanded. The Fox followed the directions without any quip. The Chief sighed and pinched the bridge of his snout. "I wanted to talk to you about my decision to make Hopps a detective."

Nick's brow rose, "I assumed it was because she deserved it." The former con's mind was racing as to what the Bull was implying. Did Bogo not think that the Fox understood that Judy deserved the promotion? Or was there something else on his mind.

"Did you ever wonder why you weren't promoted with her?"

The vulpine officer shrugged, "I thought that I wouldn't be too far after her…is that not the case, sir?"

"Officially promotions are not decided before a position opens up," Bogo responded, his expression stern, "unofficially, as long as you prove to me that you are worth it when it opens up than it will be yours."

"Then what's your point?" Nick asked bluntly, "you have never struck me as the mammal to give pep talks years before something is possible."

The corners of the Bulls snout twitched, and the Fox was sure it was to smile. "There are always changes in the Z.P.D." continued the Cape Buffalo, "thinking it will take years to partner up once more with Hopps is quite a pessimistic way to view the situation." Chief Bogo straightened, "I have decided on your next partner, though he won't be field ready for some time."

"Aw Chief," the Fox groaned, "Don't tell me your putting me with Snarlov! He has no sense of humor."

"No it is not Snarlov."

Nick tilted his head in confusion, "Well there's only one other officer who is out…" The vulpine's muzzle hung up as the thought struck him. "No."

"Yes."

"Chief that's a terrible idea." The officer pointed with both paws to his chest, "Me and Weselton do not get along." He swiped a paw in front of him. "Like oil and water." The vulpine paused, and smirked, "Besides, wouldn't you want your next up and coming star to be trained by a 'by the book' kind of officer?"

"Up and coming," repeated the Bull, "Yes he would have been in the next coming years. The key word being 'would.'"

"I don't…"

"Did you see him today Officer? " Nick looked away. He had stayed as far away from the Weasel, even though Judy had been around the mustela the entire he was at Precinct One. "I didn't think so…What I saw today was a shell of the mammal I sent out three months ago." The Fox glanced back at the Bull and saw deep sorrow in the larger mammal's eyes. There was no doubt that the Chief regretted his decision, but to see the imposing mammal look so vulnerable was new for the vulpine. As fast as the regret appeared is as fast as it disappeared. "That is why I'm assigning you to be his partner when he is medically cleared."

"Chief," Nick started desperately, his smile as unsure as his words, "I don't think I can help him. He needs a mammal whose shoulder he can cry on, not some old con like me. I can't even imagine what he's going through."

"You're right Wilde; I wouldn't expect you to understand what Officer Weaselton is going through. It's not as if _you_ have committed crimes that you regret, or haven't been able to look yourself in the mirror. I shouldn't have expected an _old con_ such as yourself to know how to deal with the overwhelming guilt of your actions."

Nick glowered at the Bull. It was a low blow by the Chief. Still, even the Fox had to admit that the Cape Buffalo had a point. If this is what was bothering Reggie than it may be possible for Nick to help. The problem remained whether the Weasel would listen to him or not. He sighed, "I'll concede your point Chief…but there's also the real possibility that Weselton wants nothing to do with me. How do you expect me to help a mammal who won't let me?"

"First I would recommend calling him by his proper name," glowered the Bull, "Second, you have a gift and the experience to connect with any mammal. So for you to suggest that you will not be able to garner any connection with Officer Weaselton is laughable." The deadpanned tone and bland expression on the Chief's snout showed how funny he thought it was. He walked to the doorway, before stopping and glancing back. "The doctor told me that it would be six weeks before Weaselton could even step paw into the Precinct in uniform. I would use that time wisely." The Bull continued out, and closed the door behind him.

Once more Nick was plunged into darkness, but it didn't feel as comfortable as it was before. Now a feeling of dread settled onto the vulpine's shoulders, one that would take several weeks to relieve. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. There were still several other videos to go through and notes to take, but at the moment all Nick could think of was crawling into bed and holding his bunny. He smiled as a thought came to mind, _"I wonder if she's wearing those carrot pajamas again."_


	39. Recovery

**Hello Readers,**

 **This chapter came out later than I normally like, but I'm glad I was able to get it out nontheless! There will be no chapter next week and the following week may be delayed as well. Criticism always welcome!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Reggie was desperately squeezing the resistance ring in his left paw. The bright blue coloring mocked the Weasel as he tried to collapse the circle. "Keep it up, you're doing great!" His trainer encouraged. The mustela wanted to snap at the Muntjac. No he was not doing great. He was struggling to squeeze a ring that registered as only as five pounds of pressure. The young mammal tried to _will_ his digits to bend the ring. Instead it barely flinched as the his trainer stopped him.

"Alright, that's enough." commanded the deer, reaching for the ring.

Reggie couldn't take it anymore and tossed the infernal item at the wall, feeling some satisfaction as it bounced off and landed on the ground. It was short lived as the Muntjac cleared his throat. The Weasel huffed and went to retrieve the ring. The rule was that Reggie had to pick up any item he tossed. This wasn't the first time that the mustela tossed that specific ring, and it probably wouldn't be the last. He walked over and bent down, picking up his nemesis before tossing it to the trainer who caught it with ease.

It had been five weeks since the young mammal's hospitalization and only a week since he had the splints removed from his digits. To his great disappointment, his paws weren't as strong or swift as they once were. Now he could scarcely hold up a spoon without tremoring and could barely crush an empty soda can. The Chief had seen this problem on the horizon, and had called in a small mammal physical therapist to help the mustela on his road to recovery. The Z.P.D. had therapists, both physical and mental on staff, but the same methods for bringing a Lion or Hippo back to par were not the same for a Weasel. Still Reggie and his trainer, Chet, met four days a week for two hours in a private therapy area in Precinct One.

The tusked deer grabbed two resistance bands with velco straps. "Strap up, Reggie!"

This was Reggie second least favorite exercise, only behind that bitter ring. At first the young mammal didn't understand why, but careful reflection easily revealed the dilemma. The Weasel grabbed the two straps and began to position them on his forearms. Paws shook as the tight grip of the straps had Reggie feeling nervous. The first time he tried this exercise, the mustela couldn't bring himself to put the straps on. Chet, who was much more patient than the Weasel knew he deserved, had strapped him in. Reggie later realized that it reminded _too_ much of being tied down. Even though he knew consciously that he could take them off whenever, it didn't make him stop shaking.

"In position." Chet commanded. Reggie stood with his back to the trainer. His hind paws spread shoulder length apart and arms out at a ninety degree angles. The tension from the bands was pulling slightly taut as the young mammal knew the deer was grabbing hold of the band's. "Front!" The Weasel moved his arms directly forward, fighting against the bands. "Rest." He brought his arms back into their original position. "Up!" He rose his arms up and slightly forward, reaching as high as he could pull. "Rest." Once again back in original position. "Down!" Reggie thrust down, arms once more slightly forward, and pulled with all his might. "Rest."

This went on three sets of ten for each position, the Weasel wearing down the longer it went on. While Reggie was disappointed about his paws, he found that his arms and legs were still in good enough shape. The three months of undercover didn't allow for the mustela to work out as hard as he used too, and combined that with four weeks of very little exertion and there was bound to be some muscle deterioration. The good news was regular exercise would bring him back up to full strength there once more. His chest and midsection were still too bruised to do much with, but once he was fully healed the Weasel vowed to work on his core once more. The only thing that really slowed down Reggie's progress were his lungs.

The young mammal was bent over wheezing from the workout. He felt Chet removing the straps from his arms. "Not too, bad. I'll have to bump up the resistance for next session." Reggie felt a hoof on his shoulder, pulling him to straighten up. "Gotta expand those lungs." The mustela wanted to grumble, but the need for oxygen took precidence. Instead the Weasel shot the trainer a glare, who simply shrugged it off. "Hey your the one who wants to get better."

Reggie didn't argue with the Muntjac and raised his tired arms above his head to expand his chest. After several deep, calming breaths, the Weasel felt right. He let out a sigh, "How long do you think it'll take for me to back to what I was?"

"Hmm," started the deer, a hoof rubbing the side of his snout, "I have no idea what you were before, so I'm not sure." The herbivore walked over to a large duffel bag that held all of the trainer's equipment. "I'll warn you that your paws may never be one hundred percent again...however if you keep working on it we can definitely get them really close." He pulled out a black, bulky vest. "Ok Regg, new workout." The cervid opened the vest out to the Weasel. "We're going to start implementing lunges into your regime. Normally I would have you carry weights, but...well your situation forces me to be creative. Will it be as effective? Probably not, no. Will it help you until you can start lifting? No question about it."

Reggie looked at the new addition to his workout with apprehension. So far every piece of equipment the Weasel despised for one reason or another. With a paw coming to his still bruised chest, it wasn't hard for the young mammal to imagine why he would dislike this. Still if Reggie wanted to get back on the beat, than this was the necessary next step. The problem was that in the back of the young mammal's mind was fear. Fear of what next would happen to the Weasel when he went back to work. The mustela didn't see much choice, the Academy being his only real form of training, and there was only one career path that was open to him. He huffed, but walked over to the deer. "If I start chaffing because of this, I'm going to be pissed."

Chet grinned, "Well then, I hope you don't chafe."

* * *

The young mammal sat on what should have been a comfortable wooden chair. It was just his size, had a cushioned seat, and had a curved back that just seemed to have the Weasel sinking into the material. Still Reggie couldn't stop fidgeting. A clock on the wall ticked away at the seconds as the mustela determinedly shifted in the seat to find **_Some_** way to make this work. Across from agitated Weasel was a Gnu wearing an old tweed jacket with his legs crossed, and a legal pad and pen in his hooves. Reggie couldn't help but glance at the psychologist named Dr. Seltsam who wore a judgmental stare. The psychologist was the resident shrink for Precinct One, and the Weasel had the misfortune of talking with him the second week of his employment. He wanted desperately to tell the herbivore where he could shove that pad, but if the young mammal ever wanted to be cleared for duty that wouldn't help. Finally the Weasel spoke, "Don't you guys normally ask questions?"

"Questions?" mirrored the Gnu, "What type of questions were you expecting?"

Reggie shrugged and leaned forward, "I dont know. I'm assuming about my past or how I feel."

"How do you feel?"

 _"Annoyed,"_ thought the Weasel. "I'm ok I guess."

The herbivore gave the mustela a blank expression, "Ok?"

"Yeah," deadpanned Reggie. The young mammal was becoming miffed by the circular conversation. Wasn't the good doctor supposed to help the mustela? So far the Weasel felt this entire session was foolish. "So what else you want to know, doc?"

"Tell me about your family," Seltsam began, "more importantly your relationship with your father."

Reggie's brow rose, "Why do you want to know that?"

"Well," continued the Gnu, flipping through the notes on his legal pad, "I have your father down as one Richard Weaselton. Is that correct?" The Weasel nodded. "From my research, he also went by the name, and I quote, 'Mad Rick.' Is that also correct?" Reggie nodded again, though this time reluctantly. Seltsam looked directly at the young mammal, "How was he as a father?"

Reggie's brow furrowed. The questions were peculiar and raised red flags for the Weasel. While the young mammal hadn't lied on his application who his parents were, he also didn't go into detail about Rick's supposed crimes. He thought quickly about the safest answer to give. "Rick provided when he could, and when he couldn't my mom got us through it."

Seltsam's brow rose, "You call him by his first name, but your mother 'mom'?"

The Weasel once again felt how uncomfortable his chair was and shuffled in his chair, "Yeah, so?" The Gnu scribbled on his pad as the young mammal glanced up at the ticking clock. Only forty seven minutes to go before the Weasel could leave. "Did your father have any close male friends?" The question had Reggie focusing back on the Psychologist, "What?"

Seltsam tapped the pen on his pad. "I have a working hypothesis that your father suffered from Antisocial personality disorder compounded by his closeted sexual orientation. If he had any close male friends it may support this idea."

To say Reggie was stunned by the Gnu is saying it lightly. He was flummoxed with his muzzle hanging open. Even if there had been really any mammals who were close to Rick, male or female, the Weasel couldn't see anyone controlling the mad mustela. He closed his mouth and cleared his throat. "Uh...no close friends..." The Psychologist seemed unperturbed by the news and simply scribbled on. The mustela glanced back at the clock. Only forty six more minutes to go.

* * *

Reggie needed to get out of the apartment. The workouts and therapy sessions were an excuse to leave and for the Weasel to get comfortable back in Precinct One, but that's the only place he went. Several times he considered going to Snarlbucks, and each time his resolve crumbled. So much so that one time he was literally standing outside the door before turning away. The dread that Sheri hadn't remembered the mustela while he thought about her non-stop at times drove Reggie away. Once the young mammal was healthy enough to take care of himself, Duchess went back to selling her merchandise. This left the Weasel with nothing but television and his thoughts, both were bad for his brain. He had convinced Mary to give him a ride into Tundra Town whenever she had her next day shift. So when the opportunity finally arrived, the young mammal jumped at it.

He had a mission. As soon as Mary pulled her little car into the Tundra Town Regional Hospital, Reggie was out as fast as he could. Granted that wasn't as fast as in the past. After a few minutes, he was already out of breath. Cursing his weakened state once more, the Weasel settled into a slow plod through the snowy district. Unlike the last time Reggie was here, he borrowed a winter jacket from Mary. The sleeves were slightly too small and the bright, lime green made the mustela stand out, but it kept him much warmer than his old hoodie. Eventually he found a bus stop to one of the lines that would take him to his destination.

Fifty three minutes of riding on a crowded bus before Reggie finally arrived where he wanted to be. His fellow riders all seemed lost in their own world, but a sheep with a blue curl of dyed wool kept eyeing the Weasel. She looked slightly familiar, but the mustela couldn't be sure. In the end she left several stops before the Weasel and he put the strange ewe out of his mind. The stop he departed the bus from was eight blocks away from what Reggie knew was the girls normal corner. At least, he _hoped_ it still was. Nightmares of Cherry, Jezeabel and Saffron pleading with the young mammal to come back as Xander Claws haunted him. It was one of the reasons for his impromtu trip to Tundra Town. He **needed** to know that they were ok.

As with his pace before, the Weasel trudged the frozen sidewalks at a slow pace. The sun was higher, and was warming up the well layered mustela. Still Reggie continued on, keeping his eyes peeled for red, orange, black and white. After twenty minutes of walking, young mammal stood on a familiar block. There was no other mammal in sight, and the Weasel's hope began to fade. No sign of the girls. He shouldn't have expected them out as they worked at night not in the middle of the day. Reggie was panting and looked dejectedly down the road. He could try to head to the house, but they could also not be there. The mustela was about to head back to the bus stop, when he heard a car pulling up behind him.

A car horn honked and Reggie glanced behind him. A rusty red two seater with a vixen driving it was honking its horn at the Weasel. He couldn't stop the grin on his muzzle even if he wanted too. The car pulled up to the curb and the passenger window rolled down. "How much for an hour?" asked Cherry in jest.

"My special is two hunded," the happy mustela retorted, "but that car looks warm, so I'll drop it a hundred."

The working girl laughed. She reached over and swung the door open. The vixen was wearing a brown pencil skirt and blazer. "Get in ex. We need to catch up."

"How'd you know?" questioned the Weasel as he gingerly entered the car.

"Our girl Azure saw you on the bus." The Fox easily responded.

Reggie groaned and pinched the bridge of his snout, "I thought the ewe on the bus looked familiar."

Cherry giggled, "She was a little hurt you didn't say 'hi', but I'll tell her something was on your mind."

The young mammal sighed and closed his eyes, "If it counts, you all were on my mind."

"Aw ex, you do care! To celebrate let's get some coffee."

Reggie smiled, "That sounds great." The unknown dread that had been building with each passing minute was released and the young mammal felt relief.

* * *

Cherry had chosen a local coffee shop called Pétr's Coffee. It was still still before lunch, so the place was deserted except for the duo and Arctic hare playing on his phone behind the counter. The vixen had gotten herself a small black coffee and Reggie a Dirty Chai. The fact she remembered impressed the mustela, and he offered his thanks for the drink. They sat silently in small mammal sized padded swivel chairs next to a bay window looking out onto the cold street as a flurry started to fall. The scene looked so peaceful to Reggie, like something out of a holiday special, yet the Weasel felt uneasy.

Instead of Solstice cheer, all the young mammal could imagine was long nights watching over the girls from his apartment. Of driving around with Cherry making sure that each and every single one of them was alright. He wondered morosly if Tundra Town would always remind him of those dark times. Would the memories fade or simply become bearable? Reggie was glad he lived in Sahara Square, well away from the freezing nights of the district. He lightly shook his head and brought his hot drink to his lips with both paws. It didn't taste right. The young mammal's thoughts were broken by a sigh from Cherry. He looked towards the Fox.

"The view is beautiful," commented the vixen, "I couldn't imagine living anywhere else." She turned her gaze away from the window and onto the young mammal. "Everyone's alright ex. We survived before you and will after you."

Reggie looked away, not able to meet Cherry's gaze. "Ex?" Of course they would be fine, why wouldn't they be? He didn't do anything important for them, and then he left. He wasn't better than any of the John's who simply used them for their bodies. "Hello? Earth to ex?" The Weasel finally glanced back at the the Fox.

Cherry wore a worried expression, her gaze filled with empathy. "Honey stop thinking what your thinking." The mustela opened his muzzle to retort, but a stern look from the Fox stopped him. "You're thinking that you don't matter and your not important. Probably something on the line 'Oh woe is me, the sad Weasel officer!'" She brought the back of her paw to her forehead, eyes closed and mock pain on her muzzle.

Reggie couldn't help but smile at the performance, but he hid it behind his cup. "You know me Cherr."

She dropped the act with a smug smile, "I do honey...which is why when Azure told me what direction you were heading in I came to find you." The vixen gripped her coffee with both paws. "Why don't you ask the questions you have, and I promise to answer them truthfully."

The Weasel let out a tense breath and nodded slightly. He sipped his drink slowly, collecting his thoughts. "Are...you all... safe?"

"Yes...most of us are trying to find honest work...trying being the key word."

"And...are...uh...you still...working the corner?"

Cherry smiled softly, "The Z.P.D. gave me a cheque for all the work that I've done for you and Beatrice. So at the moment, no I'm not."

"So...what are you doing?"

She scratched the back of her head, "Well, I'm trying to get a real job. I actually had an interview today. Nothing special, just sales mammal position."

Reggie smiled, "It sounds like your doing well. How about everyone else?"

"Jezz is landing on her hooves as expected. Saff not as much, but Jezz won't let her fall. Candy is dandy...or at least that's what she's telling everyone. We're all doing our best to help all the girls out. You'll be happy to hear that Saff was able to get the youngest ones enrolled in school. Beatty helps when she can, but with Tassut always on our backs..."

The mustela frowned, "Beatty...Tassut?"

"Oh right!" The vixed exclaimed slightly embarrassed, "You don't know that Beatty is actually Beatrice."

"...and this Tassut?"

Cherry waved the Weasel off, "Don't worry about Tassut. He's not gonna be a problem much longer." The final statement was said with a hard glare. She then smiled easily, "It's not your problem honey and put it out of your mind."

Reggie's frown remained, but he didn't push the subject. Instead he focused his attention back on the outside. Silence once again fell between the two mammals as the mustela wondered if it was even necessary for him to be here. Everything seemed to be progressing well, and with Beatrice helping he had no doubt that they would all find their ways out of prostitution. Still, he felt as though he needed to stay a little longer. "How are you doing?" The question had Reggie gazing back at his companion. A brow rose in confusion, "What do you mean, how am I doing?" The vixen only gave a blank expression, staying silent as the Weasel squirmed under her gaze.

"I'm fine, really!" the young mammal exclaimed, the words ringing false in his ears, "I just wanted to see how everyone was doing." Cherry continued to stare unblinking as she sipped from her coffee. "What do you want me to say?" grumbled the increasingly agitated Weasel, "my wounds are taking their time healing, but I'm alright otherwise." Still the former working girl continued to stare, taking another slow sip. Reggie glared at the Fox, wishing for her to say something, **Anything** , instead of acting like he didn't answer the question.

"You want the truth!" shouted the mustela, fur standing on end and paws shaking, "The truth is that I'm worried that I'll never fully heal, and I'll lose my job because of it. I can't even squeeze a blue ring for Spirits sake! That my co-workers will betray me again. I saw the _**reports**_! That no matter _**how**_ **_hard_** I try, I'll still be a disposable officer!" The Weasel was on a roll as everything he had been holding back came tumbling out. "I'm terrified that I'm turning into my father and I'm going insane! That the next time I'm on the beat, and it goes violent that...that I'll-" The drink between Reggie's paws slipped and fell to the floor. The Weasel apologized profusely as he and Cherry stood up. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. My paws just aren't..." He was cut off by a russet paw on his shoulder.

"Accidents happen ex," Cherry replied soothingly, she jerked a digit at the buck barista, "lemme see if so can get him off his phone to clean this up and make you another drink."

Reggie nodded and tried to hide his emotions. The outburst left the Weasel on unsure ground as he wasn't sure what the vixen's response would be. He picked up his fallen cup and stepping past the growing puddle, walked towards Cherry.

* * *

The pair now sat at a two mammal table. Reggie still grasping his cup with both paws, but now resting it on the table, and Cherry drinking a new cup of coffee. The Weasel wasn't able to look at the vixen, still feeling embarrassed from the spill, and continued his silence. He carefully brought his fresh drink to his lips and sipped. It still didn't taste right to the Weasel.

"Did you ever talk to your barista again?" asked Cherry gently.

Reggie sighed and brought his drink back down, "No...and before you try to fish it out of me I'm worried about meeting her again." The young mammal leaned his elbows onto the table, "I'm...scared...that she won't recognize me..."

"How can anyone mammal forget you honey?" chided the vixen softly, "You make an impression on mammals lives." Reggie didn't respond, instead focusing on the lid of his drink. She sighed, "Do you have someone to talk to about all these worries ex?"

"There's a therapist at Precinct One," began the young mammal, his gaze cast down "I'm supposed to talk to him three times a week, but...after he mentioned who my father was, all he wants to do is talk about him. Probably trying to write a book about him." The last part was grumbled out by the Weasel, not meant for Cherry to hear. "Who was he?" she asked. Reggie glanced up at the vixen before looking away, "I don't want to you...not that I don't trust you!" The mustela added this part hastily, "...but it's been my experience than when mammals hear who it is, they treat me differently."

"He doesn't sound like a nice fellow."

Reggie couldn't help but laugh at her statement. "That's an understatement!"

Cherry rolled her eyes, "What I mean is that if his son doesn't want to be like him, than his must have been pretty bad." She smiled knowingly at the Weasel, "And your not bad at all."

The young mammal looked away and huffed, folding his arms. "You don't even know me." The response was kittish at best and Reggie knew it.

"You're right," commented the vixen, causing the Weasel to look at her, "I don't really know much about you. I _would_ like too as I consider us...friends...but I _believe_ without knowing your father that your better than him." She leaned forward on the table. "To prove it answer me this, would your father have helped me, Saffron or Jezeabel? If he would have than you are like him, but if he wouldn't have than you'll never be like him." Reggie opened his muzzle to retort, but closed it when none appeared. Cherry smirked, "I thought so honey. The thing is ex all those problems you mentioned I can't help you with. I can't make you trust your co-workers, but there are definitely some who like you from what I've seen. Those same officers also don't think your disposable. Finally doll I've seen you do things that Weasels _don't_ do! If anyone can come back to full strength it's you."

Reggie felt embarrased and felt his cheeks heated up. Taking praise was definitely not his strong suit, and Cherry just laid a ton on him. He mumbled 'thanks' and tried to drink his beverage once more.

Cherry smiled, "You could have easily reached out to any other officer to find out about us girls, but you came down here yourself. I figured you needed some encouragement from someone you trust."

The Weasel gave a small smile as he stared at his drink. "I did need the encouragement...thanks for that. Also you're right I do trust you, Saff and Jezz. Candy...not so much...though I got to say, you gave me too much credit." The young mammal looked up apologetically, "I honestly didn't think to ask anyone to find out for me." The vixen laughed behind a paw and the mustela couldn't help but chuckle as well. When the mirth died down, Reggie cleared his throat. "I thought you didn't like the talkers?"

"I don't like the talker _John's_ , ex, they take up the full hour. That doesn't mean I won't help a...friend... in need."

"Well I'm glad you consider me that," Reggie admitted truthfully, "and thank you for the drink." He sipped on the warm drink appreciably.

"Oh anytime honey," Cherry responded with a wave of her paw. A dangerous glint entered her eye. "Maybe next time you can show me your barista."

Reggie choked on his drink as Cherry laughed once more.

* * *

Six weeks. That's how long Reggie had been waiting for this morning. Really, it was more since last week after Cherry revitalised his confidence, but the Weasel knew today was the day. Finally the young mammal would walk back into Precinct One an officer. His anticipation had the mustela waking up before his alarm and ready as fast as his digits allowed him to button up his uniform. They still weren't a hundred percent, but the exercises were starting to make them less stiff. Still the blue ring challenged the Weasel, and Chet seemed amused by Reggie's struggle.

The young mammal walked down the familiar dark street of Savannah Central. The route, while second nature, hadn't been walked by the mustela this early hour in over four months. It felt surreal, like a dream he never thought would come true. As Reggie walked down the quiet street, the only light from the fading street lamps, he spotted a light coming from a store window across the street. It was a Snarlbucks. More importantly it was the same Snarlbucks that one Raccoon who the mustela dreamed of. The urge to see Sheri pulled Reggie in the direction of the store. In a few minutes the doors would be unlocked and he could enter and see her in the fur.

This want to see the Raccoon felt selfish to the Weasel. Of course he didn't just want to see her. He wanted to hear her laughter and listen to her talk about her pervious day. The drive to find more about the female had not disappeared when he was undercover, but had simply grown even stronger. Did she have any siblings? What did she do on her time off? Was she originally from the city or no? Would she go out with him? The final question stopped Reggie in his tracks. The young mammal found that the urge had dragged his hind paws into the middle of the street. He stood motionless as his mind was torn by two competing thoughts.

The first wanted to stride right up to Sheri, grab her by the shoulders and kiss her until he ran out of air. His heart was in full agreement with this idea. The other wanted the Weasel to keep walking and forget about the lovely procyon as dragging another mammal that Reggie couldn't trust into his life sounded like proverbial suicide. His instincts, fearful of unknown outcomes, supported the second notion. With the mustela's heart pining to see the smile of the friendly barista, Reggie stepped forward tentatively. His hind paw didn't even hit the pavement before doubt made itself known.

 _"Ya a killa Regg just like ya old mam."_

 _"Face it kiddo, ya jus like me's."_

His father's voice rang through the youung mammal's mind, so clearly that he involuntarily stepped back. His fur stood on end as fearful eyes gazed at the innocuous storefront. A dream...or was it a memory... of a blood soaked Sheri crying out in abject agony as Reggie stood with rust painted paws shook the mustela to his very core. Rick was right. Reggie was a killer. No matter what any psychologist or Cherry could say would change it. The young mammal's paws began to shake, and he reached with his right to grasp at his heart. Instead he found a metal shield, one that Mary had helped him pin onto the front, with three simple words written on it. Integrity. Trust. Bravery.

Reggie found himself gripping the badge like a lifeline. Cherry had told him that he wasn't like his father. Coming out of that conversation, the Weasel believed it. Now though, standing like a fool in the middle of an abandoned street, looking as if the Snarlbucks were some horror show, the mustela was only sure of one thing. That the best thing for Sheri was for him to stay away. Reggie turned deliberately, paw still clutching his badge and strode towards his destination, forcing his gaze to remain forward. He hoped it would become easier over time.


	40. Burying the Hatchet Part One

Reggie walked through the doors of Precinct One quickly, trying to move past his misstep in front of the Snarlbucks. He waved at Clawhauser with a smile, and continued walking towards Roll Call. "Oh Reggie wait!" called out the rotund Cheetah. The mustela turned to the front desk officer, "What's up Clawhauser?"

"Chief said to head to his office this morning," continued Clawhauser, "I think he wants to talk to you about something."

A brow rose on the Weasel, "Did he say about what?"

The Cheetah shrugged his shoulders, "No idea."

Reggie frowned, but then nodded. "Thanks Clawhauser. See you around."

"Oh and Reggie!" The feline called out once more, catching the young mammal's attention, "It's good to see you back in uniform."

The mustela smiled weakly, "Thanks...uh...Clawhauser." He walked backwards away from the smiling feline, "I guess...I should go then..." Reggie turned and headed to the elevators. The conversation felt off, forced on the young mammal's side. This wasn't the first time that the Weasel and Cheetah had talked, Reggie always spared some extra minutes to talk to the bubbly officer when he came in. This time though he couldn't help but feel awkward, like he didn't belong. The young mammal shook the thought away. He reached the doors of the elevators and had to jump up to press the call button. Reggie landed with a pained grunt and rubbed his midsection with a paw. Even after six weeks of healing, the Weasel still wasn't a hundred percent.

* * *

Reggie sat in one of the large chairs in Chief Bogo's office, struggling more than he was used to in climbing the chair. He hadn't been in this office since the Dustbowl incident. The Bull sat on the separating desk with his hooves folded and stern gaze. The mustela didn't feel the same intensity from the Chief's gaze as times before; still Reggie couldn't help but squirm in his seat. The silence between the two mammals lasted until the Weasel cleared his throat. "You wanted to see me Chief."

"Yes," started the Cape Buffalo slowly, his gaze never leaving the young mammal, "I wanted to personally go over the stipulations of you returning to the Z.P.D."

The Weasel tried to keep his face blank, "Stipulations?"

"For your _early_ return," corrected Chief Bogo. He opened a drawer and brought out a folder. "The reports, as well as my own observation, suggest you are not healthy yet." The Chief placed the folder on the desk and leaned back slightly, "However it is from my own personal experience that I understand some of the best healing happen around friends and co-workers. Therefore I decided to have you come back to Precinct One." The Cape Buffalo walked around his desk and leaned against it. "First and foremost, you will begin in a limited role. Desk duty first least two weeks, followed by Parking duty and then paw patrol before you even step back into a cruiser. I need to be sure that all of my officers are ready before sending them out into possible dangerous situations.

Second, you will continue your sessions with Doctors Seltsam. I know, I know," interjected the Chief, cutting off the Weasel who opened his muzzle, "his methods are questionable at best, but his, success rate with my officers is unparalleled. You will arrive at least an hour early three days a week for the sessions. On a side note, your physical training sessions are officially finished, but I expect you to continue to work on your own when you are cleared physically."

Reggie nodded and remained silent. He couldn't say that he trusted the Cheif's decisions, but he knew better than to argue with the larger mammal. "Is there anything else Chief?"

"Yes, there's one last thing-" Chief Bogo was cut off by the sound of the office door swinging open. The large mammal looked up and frowned. "I told you to wait until called, _**Wilde**_."

Reggie stiffened as the tap of claws on the floor grew louder behind him. "Sorry Chief, but I believe in delivering bad news like removing a band aid. Just do it fast." The Weasel turned his head slowly. Officer Wilde was walking casually to the two mammals with a pair of aviator shades and a large Snarlbucks cup. He smirked at the stunned young mammal and gave a two digit salute. "If it isn't old Weselton. Glad to see you back in blue." The Fox stopped next to the mustela with a sly smirk, "Of course I heard you started wearing black and white. Such fitting colors for a lithe mammal." He reached out a free paw towards Reggie.

The young mammal acted instinctively, cringing back and putting space between him and the Fox. The Weasel snarled and felt his fur rising. The mustela remebered where he was and suppressed the feeling into a heated glare. "How can I help you today... _Officer_ Wilde."

"Look at that Chief," started the vulpine officer, tipping his sun glasses and revealing emerald eyes staring at the Weasel, "wants to tear my tail off, yet still refers to me as officer." He placed his shades back into position and turned to the Cape Buffalo. "Truly an inspiration for us all."

The sarcasm from the Fox was so thick that Reggie was surprised he wasn't smacked with Wilde's words. The young mammal straightened up and focused back on the Chief, he ignored the vulpine entirely. "What was it you wanted to discuss before we were interrupted Chief?"

"Unfortunately," grumbled the Bull who folded his arms, "this is what we needed to discuss...though I was hoping to **_ease_** you into the conversation." Chief Bogo shot Wilde a glare before turning back to Reggie. "I have decided to partner up you and Wilde. It won't be effective until you are on paw patrol-"

"That doesn't mean I'm not going to check in on my third favorite mustelid," interjected Wilde. The Fox turned towards Reggie. "Maybe even grab you a drink every now and then." The vulpine officer brought the Snarlbucks cup to his lips and sipped loudly.

Reggie clenched his jaw tight, not trusting himself to bite down hard on the red furred mammal. It had to be a harmless statement from the vulpine. There's no way he could know about Sheri. A slight tremor shook his paws as the young mammal fought against the need to break something of the Fox's. Eventually he let out a shuddering breath and smiled venomously, "I _always_ appreciate my fellow officers."

"Great!" replied Wilde enthusiastically, his smile seeming to strain as well, "I can't _**wait**_ to learn more about my _new_ partner." He turned to the Cape Buffalo, "And you were worried we wouldn't get along." The Fox shook his head and tisked the larger mammal, "Have faith in us Chief!" The Chief simply glared at the vulpine officer. "Great commentary sir, truly inspirational."

"Dismissed Wilde," growled the Bull, "Before I **_inspire_** you through the window."

The Fox laughed and stepped backwards, "Of course Chief, see you at Roll Call." Wilde reached the door, but turned back to the two mammals. "Can't _wait_ to spend time with you Wesel," said the vulpine, "We're going to have lots to talk about." With a swish of his tail, Wilde exited the office.

Reggie heard the Chief sigh, "Would you believe me if I were to tell you he is a fine officer." The Weasel was still looking at the doorway. He pushed a breath slowly out. The mustela felt taxed from a simple conversation with the vulpine. How was he supposed to be his partner if the Weasel could barely stand the Fox? He glanced from the doorway to the Cape Buffalo. Why would Chief Bogo assign them together? Wasn't there any other available officers? The young mammal cleared his throat, "Uh…Chief? Are there…any other officers available to partner up with?"

Chief Bogo turned his gaze to the smaller mammal, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Are you questioning my decision?"

The Weasel shrank under the heavy gaze of the Bull. "No sir."

The Bull snorted and crossed his arms, "Your permanent desk is Hopps' old one. I would recommend starting on the paperwork that has amassed since your absence. Dismissed."

Reggie nodded silently and headed out of the office. There was nothing that the Weasel could do. If the Chief said Wilde and Reggie were partners, well then they were partners. Still the young mammal couldn't bring himself to talk to the vulpine, let alone trust him. _"The best thing to do is keep my head down and try to ignore Wilde…"_

* * *

Two hours and seventeen minutes. That's how long it had been since Wilde had stopped by on Reggie. The Weasel had done as ordered and was filling out all the paperwork that he had collected from his four month absence. The young mammal would be lying if he said that he expected the large stack of papers on his desk when he arrived. At first he thought that it may have been left over from Hopps, but a cursory search showed that they were all addressed to Officer Reginald C. Weaselton. The Weasel smiled the first few papers where he saw his full title, allowing some pride to seep in. That grew old after the next two dozen. All total the young mammal had to write twelve action reports, thirty three incident reports, and a detailed, day by day breakdown of all of his financial expenses.

In the young mammal's first ten minutes of typing, the vulpine officer strutted in. Nothing was said between the two mammals, but Wilde did take a loose pencil off of Reggie's desk. The Weasel caught the action out of the corner of his eye, but didn't mention it. He was determined to keep the interaction between himself and the Fox for only when it was necessary. This interruption was followed by another, and then another, and another, until Reggie found himself counting the minutes in between visits. It was obvious to the mustela that Wilde was coming in to annoy him. First it was a pencil, than a stack of papers; a coffee mug hidden away in the vulpine's desk drawer and other odds and ends. There seemed to be no reason to the Weasel why the Fox continued to come in and out.

As if on cue the door opened, revealing the vulpine officer. Out of the corner of Reggie's eye, he could see Wilde sipping on the mug that the officer had retrieved earlier. The strong smell of coffee wafted to the Weasel's nose as it twitched to the familiar scent. He really needed a cup as his energy dropped. The young mammal shook his head and focused on his report once more. The financial report was kicking his tail in. How was Reggie supposed to know what he spent on the thirty seventh day of undercover work? The mustela felt his fur stand on end as his instincts told him someone was close. He turned to his left and found Wilde looking over his shoulder, eyes focused on the screen.

"Paperwork is always so droll," Wilde commented. He sipped noisily. Reggie cringed away as the sound reverberated in his ears. The Weasel fought against the need to knock the cup out of the vulpine's paw. He tried to refocus on the screen. _"Don't pay attention Regg. Just let it be…"_

"So what you doing for lunch Wesel?" inquired the Fox, "What did Dutch pack you today?"

The Weasel gritted his teeth. It was becoming harder and harder to ignore the vulpine officer. He continued to type on the keyboard, trying to remember where he was in the report. _"So I think that day I ate take-out…but was that before or after Rameo? There was the time that Cherry and I got coffee, but when did the girls and I go out for sandwiches? I **REALLY** wish I had taken better notes…"_

"I remember doing a few of these reports," began Wilde, still standing behind Reggie, "Carrot's and I went undercover, I don't remember what case it was…Anyway we ended up having to go to this posh restaurant." He chuckled, "Imagine trying to explain to the Chief _why_ I needed to order the pan seared scallops risotto."

Reggie stopped typing, his mind wandering. Did Wilde know that he knew about him and Hopps? He shook his head. It didn't matter if the Fox did or not. All that mattered was that the Weasel needed to limit the amount of contact between the two. Maybe if he distanced himself from the vulpine officer, he could eventually cope with being Wilde's partner. For now though, the young mammal felt that he needed distance.

"Nice chatting with you," Wilde said sarcastically, "Really feeling like we're connecting."

The Weasel watched as the Fox walked out of the office, closing the door behind him. Reggie let out a haggard breath as he leaned back into his swivel chair. How Hopps managed to get any work done in this uncomfortable chair the young mammal would never know. He leaned past his computer, looking at the dark burgundy. The young mammal wanted desperately to sit in what he knew was a very comfortable chair. He squirmed in the rickety metal chair that used to be Hopps. No wonder she always wanted to be out in the field. Reggie glanced at the clock on the computer. It read 12:17pm. He slid slowly off the chair, leaving the report to be finished after lunch. The mustela paused as the possibility of running into Wilde. A rumble from his stomach convinced the young mammal that lunch couldn't wait. The Weasel rubbed the back of his head, "Got to get over this Regg." He stretched his back and then straightened out his uniform shirt. Reggie walked to the door, pushing down his concerns and replacing it with thoughts of what the cafeteria had made today.

* * *

The day was finally over, and Reggie needed to burn off some steam. At the moment the Weasel was running around the track, lost in the struggle he was having with his lungs. It had been too long since the young mammal had run around the four lane track, granted it had been too long since the mustela had stepped into Precinct One. Reggie trudged along the track, wheezing with each breath. A flash of red to his right caught the small mammal's eye. The thorn throughout the day Wilde was jogging slowly next to the young mammal.

"Fancy seeing you here," Wilde stated with a smirk, "I never realized you like to get in a good workout as well Wesel." The Fox easily kept pace with the struggling Weasel, barely breaking a sweat while Reggie gasped for air. "Fluff had me working out every day. I guess she was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up." The vulpine chuckled and nudged the Weasel, "You know Duke-"

Reggie missed the last of his statement as the nudge from Wilde knocked him off balance. The young mammal fell flat on his muzzle, the rubber track bouncing his nose off the floor. The mustela grunted in surprise and laid on the track for a few seconds. He finally placed his paws under him and pushed himself up. The Weasel glared at the Fox who had stopped next to him.

"Heh," laughed Wilde obviously nervous, ears flat and a paw rubbing the back of his head, "Would you believe me if I said that was an accident?"

The mustela stepped towards the taller mammal, his fur standing on end and tail standing out. His fists balled against his side as they shook from rage. Reggie couldn't take it anymore. Wilde had gotten under his fur with ease today and all the mustela wanted to do was keep punching until the smirk disappeared. He raised a threatening digit towards the vulpine, muzzle opening and ready to give the smug bastard a piece of his mind, when a voice from behind called out to him.

"Weaselton!"

Reggie turned to see Snarlov running towards him, the Brown Bear not looking pleased. He stopped in front of the Weasel and folded his arms with a hard glare. "I know you're not supposed to be putting in any physical training at the moment." Snarlov leaned closer to the mustela's height, "And that includes working out." He growled out the final statement and snarled at the young mammal.

The Weasel wasn't in the mood for the ursine's protective streak. "What do you want me to do then Snarlov?" Reggie snapped, "Want me to sit on my tail all day and then fail the physical when I can't run a mile?" He waved a paw between them, "I'm in no mood for you playing Papa Bear, so leave…me…be!"

The larger mammal swung a paw behind the mustela and clasped him from behind. Reggie knew it was pointless to struggle as Snarlov lifted the smaller mammal up and straightened himself up. The Weasel folded his arms and tucked his knees closer to his chest as the Brown Bear continued to glare at him. "Hit the showers Regg," commanded the ursine, "and don't come back till your cleared." Snarlov then lowered the Weasel back to the track, arms folded once more as Reggie glared back at him.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, the Weasel gave in and looked away from Snarlov. He knew that the ursine wasn't the reason for his ire, but the young mammal was lashing out. The mustela glanced quickly behind him to see if Wilde was still there, but as he should have expected the vulpine had vanished. Reggie sighed once more and began to walk to the locker room. He glanced at the larger mammal still watching him, "See you around…I guess…" The Weasel continued his lonesome walk as his co-workers continued to train. They were making themselves better, and Reggie was feeling left behind.

* * *

Reggie pushed the front doors of Precinct One open with force. If it was possible, the young mammal would have slammed the door. He stomped away, still in his workout out clothes, as he headed for the train station. The mustela didn't have an idea heading in today as to what his first day back should have been, but nonstop paperwork and finding out who his future partner was wouldn't have even fluttered into the young mammal's mind. He stomped down the steps as officers coming back or heading to their next shift gave the smaller mammal space. All Reggie wanted to do now was head back to Duke and Dutch's, take a shower, and then lay in bed till he fell asleep. He didn't want to talk or interact with any mammal. So imagine his surprise when the one mammal he wanted **_far_** away appeared next to him.

"So got any plans tonight," commented Wilde casually, somehow having time to change into some gaudy Pawaiian shirt and khaki shorts, "I'm thinking pizza myself. Maybe a movie with Hopps."

Reggie sped up, leaning forward as he tried to will his tired legs to move faster. Why was Wilde harassing him? The Weasel clamped his muzzle shut and pumped his arms to try and gain some distance between him and the Fox. It was a futile effort.

"I don't know Wesel, just seems like a relaxing night," continued the vulpine, not seeming to be fazed by the increase in speed, "I did _so_ much work today that my tail needs it's own pillow to lay on." He chuckled, "Course Carrots will just hug it until she's done with it."

 _"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"_ screamed Reggie internally as he tried to walk faster, _"Just leave me alone!"_ He was jogging now as his thighs burned in protest. The Weasel had to get away or he would do something that he wouldn't regret right away. Injuring an officer could be a fireable offense. Still the Fox kept up with the mustela, and a quick glance revealed to the young mammal that Wilde had his paws in his pockets as he joggged.

"Have you seen that new movie that came out? Anything, Anything? Real chick flick, but Carrots loves the book, so we saw it..."

The Weasel was now full on sprinting, running as fast as he could muster towards the train station. Each breath was labored, but the young mammal ignored the pain. All that mattered was getting away from Wilde and his constant chatter. He was forced to stop as the light at an intersection turned red and the "No Walk" sign flashed. The Weasel heard slight panting next to him as he crossed his arms defensively. Reggie looked away from the Fox, eyes wide and smile threatening to overtake his muzzle. The young mammal hadn't felt the familiar pull of the War Dance the past six weeks, and now he felt unprepared for the flood of adrenaline and insanity that was simply waiting to be released.

The Fox sighed heavily. "How's Mary doing?" Wilde asked nonchalantly. The crazed gaze of the Weasel slowly turned to the vulpine, a slight tremor running through his body. His fur began to stand on end. "You do have a sister?" pressed the Fox as he glanced to the side at the Weasel, "She looks like you, except better of course." A small smirk crossed over the red mammal's muzzle, "If I wasn't a one mammal Fox-"

Reggie didn't hear the Fox complete the sentence as he body moved on instinct. With a predatory growl, the young mammal struck. His right fist finding the midsection of the vulpine, just above the belt. The mustela stepped his right hind paw past the Fox's leg and pushed with all his strength into Wilde. The Fox stumbled back, arm flailing and shock all over his face. Reggie grabbed Wilde's right wrist with his left paw and pulled it up, the vulpine landing hard on his left side as the mustela controlled his right.

"Why..." Reggie finally managed, "Why do you keep following me and...and talking to me. I-I know we're supposed to be partner's...but..." The Weasel bared his teeth at the back of the Fox, "How could we be partner's. I **_hate_** you so much." The young mammal panted from the exertion, but his snarled remained. It shrank to a frown when he heard the Fox begin to laugh.

"Finally!" Wilde exclaimed though his mirth, "You **finally** said it! And all it took was me suggesting interest in your sister." Reggie tightened his grip on the vulpine and pressed his arm into an awkward angle. "Ow, Ow, Ow, Ok I give!" Wilde raised his free paw in surrender, "If you keep this up it'll turn into Police brutality."

The Weasel stopped pressing, but didn't let go. "What was even the point of this Wilde? To get me thrown off the force!?"

Another laugh from the prone vulpine, "I can think of seven...no eight officers alone that would be pissed if I did that. That's not including the fiesty She-Wolf from Precinct Six. What was her name again?...Oh that's right, Beatty. She would live up to her name if given the chance." He struggled against the Weasel's hold before huffing in frustration. "Let me up and I'll tell you."

Reggie was tempted to push forward and dislocate Wilde's shoulder, but the temptation came from his emotional state. The Weasel recognized how terribly he kept his emotions in check and knew that it was the reason he was in this mess to begin with. The young mammal released the older officer's arm and stepped back. Wilde quickly bounced back up, dusting off his shirt and rolling his right shoulder.

"I should have known better from a Valedictorian," stated the vulpine officer as he glanced at the Weasel. He smile was the same, but there was an amused glint in his gaze. "Right," he began, clapping his paws together, "First things first. You're going to follow me to a nice diner that I know where we are both going to share a meal and sort this miss out."

"And if I refuse?" Questioned the Weasel.

"Then," Wilde continued, jabbing a clawed digit at the smaller mammal, "an anonymous tip about am assault on an off duty officer is submitted to Precinct One with the corner we're standing on."

"Tha-that's blackmail!" sputtered Reggie, his anger rising to critical levels once more. He wouldn't let himself be forced by another officer through coercion.

Wilde sighed, a tired smile replacing the confident one from a moment ago, "More like insurance." He stepped forward and brought both paws up surrender. "All I want is to talk to you, that's it." He held out a paw for Reggie to take.

The mustela hesitated, it sounded too good to be true. Getting away with assaulting Wilde, and all he had to do was talk to the Fox. _"It has to be a trap..."_

The vulpine officer chuckled, "Ok, ok. We're gonna do this the Weaselton way then." He straightened up and brought raised his right paw to shoulder level. "I, Nicolas P. Wilde, officer of the Z.P.D., do _humbly_ swear that all I want to do is talk to one Reginald C. Weaselton. In return there will be no mention of a compromising situation that we are both aware of." The Fox stopped his paw and a questioning brow rose. "Good enough for you?"

Reggie balked. Why should he trust Wilde at his word? Still the pull from his conscious to believe the promise was overwhelming. A promise was still important to the young mammal, but the last mammal to promise him anything more than likely would have broken it. He swallowed dryly, "Promise?" The Weasel's voice sounded weak and the question kitllike, but he needed the reassurance.

"Yes," Wilde responded, his voice low and serious, "I promise." Reggie nodded in return and the Fox's smirk reappeared. "Well I'm glad you've agreed Weselton," the vulpine said as he stuffed his paws in his pockets, "It makes things _so much_ easier when mammals agree." He turned from the Weasel and began to cross the street. Wilde glanced behind him at the mustela, "You coming?"

The Weasel ram after the older officer, matching Wilde's pace when he was right next to him, "Where are we going?"

"Nice little place in the Rainforest District," Wilde replied. The Fox continued walking to the train station, eyes fixed on his destination as his smirk disappeared.

Reggie followed, glancing at the red mammal. He couldn't help but feel trapped. The young mammal was stuck between talking with Wilde or losing his job, and he at the moment he wasn't sure which was worse.


	41. Burying the Hatchet Part Two

Reggie was sitting across from Wilde in a worn down diner on the second level of the Rainforest District. The booth they were sitting in had old plastic cover seats and a linoleum covered table separating the two mammals. On the opposite edge of the table, almost leaning against the large window on the Weasel's left was a simple napkin dispenser bookend by a salt and pepper shaker. An uncovered bulb hung above them with a faded blue shade around light source. The Fox had ordered a coffee, and was stirring it absentmindedly with his eyes cast down. Reggie had stuck with ice water, but instead of drinking it he pressed his knuckles flushed with the yellow plastic cup. The blow to the older officer seemed to affect the young mammal more than the recipient. The two hadn't said a word to one another once they boarded the train, with Reggie lost in his own thoughts and not caring about his companion.

He didn't understand why Wilde wanted to bring him way out into the Rainforest District. The mustela looked out the window, but the bright overhead light only allowed the Weasel to see his own melancholy expression staring back at him. Reggie knew that it was dark in the district now, as it was always darker because of the trees. Still the mustela wished he could see the greenery that surrounded the diner. The humidity of the Rainforest felt heavy to the young mammal. It was different than the heat of Sahara Square and the wet snowfall of Tundra Town. As much as it got under his fur, the warmth always felt like an all encompassing blanket, one that was with him wherever he went in the district and provided the warmth necessary to survive on the streets. It reminded him of home. Now it was overbearing, and the walk from the station was taxing on the Weasel. He thought that he would need a break at some point, but Wilde didn't stop so Reggie didn't either.

"Excuse me," Wilde said, "Is the cook available?" Reggie watched the reflection of the Fox grab the attention of a passing waitress. The waitress was an older looking lynx wearing a sky blue dress and white apron. "Lemme see hon," replied the feline hoarsely. The Fox thanked the waitress and then stared back down at his drink.

Reggie turned to the Fox across from him with narrowed eyes and a scowl, "I thought you wanted to talk?"

The vulpine frowned at his drink and clutched it with both paws, "After we talk to the cook."

The Weasel huffed, "That wasn't part of the deal."

Wilde glanced at the mustela, irritation apparent in his gaze. "After."

The young mammal rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Fine." The two remained in silence for several more minutes before an older vixen approached them. She was a red Fox with streaks of white through her muzzle and on the tips of her black ears. There were wrinkles in the corners of her sea foam green eyes and in the corners of her mouth, as if she scowled plenty. She wore a white apron with several different colored stains on it that was tied around a white t-shirt and pair of blue jeans. She frowned as she approached the table and placed her paws on her hips. "Nicholas?"

The older officer turned to the cook and smiled, "Hey ma."

"Is something wrong?" inquired the vixen, a frown appearing as her eyes raked over the other Fox.

Wilde chuckled, "No ma. I'm staying out of trouble." He gestured to Reggie with a paw while keeping the other on his beverage. "I'd like you to meet Officer Weaselton. He's the new rookie this year." The vulpine officer leaned back into his seat. "I'm just showing him around the best places to eat."

"Uh huh," the female replied unconvinced. She turned to the mustela with a smile and paws folded in front of her, "Scarlett Wilde. It's a pleasure to meet you Officer." She nodded her head at the end of her statement and appeared to be genuine.

"Pleasures all mine ma'am," replied Reggie reflexively. He nodded his head as well.

"Ma'am always makes me sound so old," responded the vixen with a wave of her paw, "call me Scarlett."

"I would prefer to at least call you Miss Scarlett." the mustela requested.

"Ooo," exclaimed Ms Scarlett, her paws clapping together, "What a gentlemammal! Hey," she smacked the vulpine officer in the shoulder, "Why can't you have better manners?"

Officer Wilde sighed with a playful smile and shrugged his shoulders, "My mother didn't teach me any." The warning glare shot by his mother didn't dampen the son's smile. "How's it going tonight ma?"

The vixen sighed and leaned a paw on the table, "Slow, but my shifts almost over." She glanced between the two seated mammals, "Are you two eating?"

"I think my usual tonight," replied the tod. He waved a paw at the mustela, "I would give him some of those potato skins and deep fried locust."

"I can order for myself," snapped the Weasel with a glare at the older officer.

"How about you let me fix you up something then," Ms Scarlett said in a soothing tone, "On the house."

"Ma," protested Wilde, "there's-"

"On...The...House..." the cook interrupted pointedly, "I know my son well enough to know when he's pissed someone off." Ms. Scarlett eyed the young mammal, "Looks like he did a number on you too." She clapped her paws together once more and smiled brightly, "Well officer, let me fix you up something nice and special!" The vixen walked away.

Several seconds of silence passed between the two officers as Reggie's mind spun, wondering **_why_** Wilde would bring him here of all places. _"What is he trying to accomplish?"_

The Fox cleared his throat, gaining Reggie's attention. "Yep...that's my mom," he said awkwardly, twiddling his digits, "I uh...figured that since I met your family...it was only...fair..." Wilde looked uncomfortable, not meeting the gaze of the young mammal. His ears were pinned back and when his paws weren't fidgeting, they were desperately holding onto his coffee. "Foods going to be awhile, so we should talk while we have the time."

"What do you want to talk about?" asked the mustela sharply. Whatever the Fox was trying to accomplish, having Reggie meet his mom wasn't all of sudden going to make him trust the older officer.

"If you don't know, than you're a fool. From what Carrots told me, you aren't. So why don't _**you**_ say what we're going to talk about."

"Rick." supplied the Weasel.

Wilde clapped his paws and then shot double digit guns at the mustela, "Bingo." The smile on the Fox's muzzle was forced, and the young mammal could see a hint of pain in the older officer's gaze. The older officer laughed dryly, "If we don't talk about him...well we're both fools."

"What's there to talk about," retorted Reggie with a snarl, "I know the story."

"I should be so honored that 'Mad Rick's discussed me," replied Wilde sarcastically, "forgive me for not feeling as such."

The Weasel shrugged, "He mostly called you that 'Silver tongued, red devil Nick Wilde,' but yeah he talked about you."

"At least he captured two of my best qualities," the tod said smugly. His mood then soured and he folded his paws on the table between them, "You need to hear the other side."

"Why?" retorted Reggie darkly, "So you can make yourself out to be some type of hero? No thanks."

"I'm not a hero," whispered Wilde, his eyes filling with regret. He blinked and it disappeared. The older officer cleared his throat again, "I messed up, and you need to know everything."

The Weasel's brow rose. There was no way what Wilde would tell him would change his opinion of The Bad Old Days or the vulpine. Still if it would fulfill the promise...

"Ok," Reggie finally conceded, "tell me everything." He leaned forward, "And I mean everything."

Wilde smiled weakly, "I wish I could lie about it...even if it was to just me..." He sipped from his coffee, with much less noise than earlier in the day, and kept it up elevated. There was silence as the Fox gained an air of contemplation. Finally he spoke.

"When I was eighteen, I was allowed into the Big Family. It was an important step for me as I moved off street hustling and stepped closer to becoming a made mammal. Two years later though, and The Bad Old Days broke out." He rolled a free paw in the air, "I made some good deals for Mr. Big and squeezed pennies out of mammals who didn't like to be squeezed." The Fox laughed, "I don't even remember what I did!" He shook his head as his laughter was reduced to a smile, before transforming into a neutral look. "Then Mr. Big calls me up to make a deal in the Rainforest District..."

* * *

 _Nick was riding in the back of a limo. A snow leopard driver his only companion for the ride, and even that mammal was separated from the Fox by glass. The tod hated silence. It usually meant a trap and traps meant he was outsmarted. The young hustler shifted in the too large, plush backseat and tried to keep his mind off of who he was about to meet._ _"Maybe a drink?" thought the Fox. He shook his head, "Need to be clear for Rick...music?" He frowned at this idea as Mr. Big generally only had the smooth pipes of Jimmy Vole, and he wasn't in a Big Band mood. His paws came up to fix his tie, though the vulpine knew it didn't need it. Still he loosened and tightened the garment before smoothing it out on his front. The young hustler was dressed to impress this night. All black suit, black button down and a white tie, he was the epitome of neutral dressing. That didn't mean that the suit gave any form of protection to the mammal. It might as well have been paper to a mammal like Rick._

 _Nick wouldn't say he was nervous, but he would be lying if he didn't say he was terrified. The Weasel he was about to meet up with was as deadly as the plague, and the stories behind ' Mad Rick's' most gruesome tales brought a shiver down the young hustler's spine. Half of them sounded like monsters under the bed stories to make sure kits behaved. Nick knew that they were all true. The Z.P.D. did their best investigating it, but the foolish Detectives of Precinct Seven didn't seem to want to believe a Weasel could cause so much carnage._ _"Ok," the tod muttered under his breath, "You can do this Wilde. Just gotta convince a murderer to stop murdering. Easy as pie." The young mammal ran a paw over his pinned ears. "Oh what have I gotten myself into?" He closed his eyes and held his breath. Slowly he breathed in, and then out. Nick continued this until he reigned in his emotions. He opened his eyes partly and smirked. It was only recently that the Fox had perfected his emotional mask, but it had made all the difference in his hustles. The vulpine knew he could express any emotion without revealing his thoughts or true emotions. This was a powerful tool for a negotiator._

 _The limo slowed to a stop. A few seconds later and the door of the vehicle was opened by the driver. Nick slid out of the limo and looked around at the neighborhood. It was a low income area on the ground level of the Rainforest District. The house for the given address was a small, rounded and single floored. The lawn looked kept and there was a warm light shining through the windows. The dangers of the Rainforest seemed to lessen around the picturesque home, with toys strewn about and a mail box at the beginning of a worn walkway._ _The hustler walked up the path, not worrying about the limo or driver. He knew the orders were to wait until Nick was done, no matter how long. The Fox reached the door and knocked twice, stuffing his paws into his pockets and rocking back and forth as he waited. The door opened slightly, stopped by a chain on the door, to reveal a small female. She was wearing pink sleepwear that had little white clouds all over it. Her brown eyes met the Emerald's of the Fox, who smiled and bent to her level. "Hello," started the hustler in a pleasant tone, "is your mommy or daddy home?"_

 _"Mary!" exclaimed a feminine voice from behind the door, "What are you-" An older Weasel, obviously the mother of the child, appeared at the door. "Can I help you?"_

 _Nick straightened up and smiled as charmingly as possible, "This is the residence of Richard Weaselton, correct?"_

 _"Oh, of course!" replied the female with a smile, "Let me get the chain off and you can come in." The door closed and the sound of metal sliding could be heard by the tod. It once again opened, revealing more of the house. "Please come in. Rick told me he was expecting company tonight." The female gestured in with one paw while trying to push the smaller Weasel further into the house. The adult Weasel had a long tail with a black tip, it flowing behind her as she moved. The young girl's tail was shorter, but there was similar length in fur and the tip was a matching black. There was no question she was the mother of the smaller Weasel. The adult pointed to a closed door just to the left of the entrance. "This is the study. Please wait here and I'll let Rick know you arrived."_

 _The Fox smiled appreciatively and gave a small wave to the little girl who continued to watch him. Nick pushed the door to the study open and let himself in. It was a small space, cozy with short brown carpeting and tan painted walls. Two medium mammal sized chairs sat in front of a small wooden desk. Behind the desk was a comfortable looking swivel chair, and behind that was a small mammal sized bookshelf. The vulpine walked around the space, glancing at the different framed pictures hanging on the wall. They all seemed to be of Rick's family in one way or another._

 _There was a professional looking picture of four Weasels dressed well and positioned together. The females from earlier were in the picture, the smaller standing in front of the larger. The young hustler assumed the adult male was Rick, as this was his house, but he was surprised to see such a known killer who kept family important in his life, or at least important enough to have photographed. What he also noticed was that the female was taller than the male, with the male's head just coming above her shoulder. "They must be fun to watch dancing," the vulpine chuckled quietly._

 _He moved to behind the desk, but making no move to open any of the drawers. Instead he bent down and examined the books on the shelf. He was surprised to see some of the titles. At least four had the title of "Bone Structure and Metabolism" with sub titles for different sized mammals. There was a Psychology book with the title "The Instincts of Primal Mustelids" that was slightly out compared to the rest of its brethren. The Fox unthinkingly pushed it back into place and continued to read the titles. There seemed to be no relaxation reading, only scientific journals and medical textbooks._

 _"Ya know, long time ago dis woulda been bad," came a voice from behind, "a Fox skulking in da house ofa Weasel."_

 _Nick straightened up slowly, a paw coming to his tie to smooth it out. He turned with an award winning smile, "Richard I presume?"_

 _A male Weasel stood in the doorway of the study. The mustela stood in a pair of black dress pants and a white button down. A pair of dark blue suspenders stretched over his shoulders as the top button of the shirt was unbuttoned. The brown fur of the mammal contrasted with the outfit, but the white fur that started below his muzzle and disappeared into his shirt blended well. His black eyes shined as an amused smirk played over his muzzle. The least Weasel stepped forward with a swagger, no fear of the larger predator in the room. "So, you's is who Big sent, ya?" The smaller mammal sneered, "Expected you's ta be bigga."_

 _Nick laughed nervously, "You're not the only one to say that." He circled towards the front of the desk with Rick mirroring his steps until the Weasel was behind the desk. Rick sat in his swivel chair, but the vulpine waited until instructed to sit. He wanted the smaller mammal to feel in control, while the Fox guided him to the necessary goal._

 _Rick didn't speak, and instead opened several drawers looking for something. He smiled softly down before pulling out a large bottle of brown liquid. The bottle had a label with bold letters that proclaimed "Stoatsmam's Finest." There was smaller lettering throughout that the tod knew to be the warning about alcohol as well as its proof. Two short, glass tumblers followed the bottle and the Weasel unscrewed the top. "Ya gotta convince me dat dis is woryth it." He poured two drinks, both halfway. "Dat I ain't jus pissin in my face, ya know?" The mustela lifted a glass to his lips, but stopped and shot a glare at the Fox. "Dat I'm watchacallit..." He leaned back and sneered, "_ ** _Compensated._** _" He tossed the glass in paw back, drinking all of its contents in one go. Rick let out a contented sigh, "Good stuff." The Weasel pushed the glass towards Nick without looking at the vulpine._

 _The young hustler stepped forward and grasped the glass; thankful he hadn't drunk in the limo. He watched the contents stir as he considered his next words carefully. Nick hadn't expected to make a sales pitch. He had expected a dialogue, a tit for tat conversation where the Fox could control the information. A pitch was dangerous, as it forced the hustler to reveal some of cards. Nick closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. In and Out. "Everyone has a weakness," the tod thought. In and Out. "What could his be?" In and Out. "Remember Dutch? She loved her brothers...You know Duke tried desperately to be the one to come...and the pictures..." In and Out. The hustler opened his eyes halfway and smirked, a practiced look that hadn't failed him yet. "Well Rick what about the future of your family?"_

 _The Weasel sat up straighter, and Nick saw the mobster's paw slide below the desk, "If ya gonna threaten my's family...den you's betta-"_

 _"Hold on," the vulpine interjected, his free paw coming up defensively, "I'm talking about_ ** _After_** _all this mess is cleaned up." He brought his paws down slowly as the mustela's tension began to lessen. "I saw your daughter, cute kit."_

 _"Yeah," murmured Rick, "She is..."_

 _"Don't you want a future for her," continued Nick, "Do you really want her to follow in your pawsteps?" Rick remained silent. "Looks like you got a boy too," the tod commented, pointing to the family picture he had examined earlier, "Don't you want him to grow up and be a doctors? Or Lawyer? Something that pays so much that he doesn't know what it means to be hungry?" Still the Weasel remained silent. Nick backed up into one of the seats, not breaking eye contact, and slowly lowered himself into the cushioned seat. "It does have a nice ring to it..._ ** _Doctor Weaselton_** _..." The Fox sipped on his drink, making more of a show of the action than necessary._

 _Rick continued to stare unblinking, but then he blinked. "Doctor Mary Weaselton does sounds pretty goods..." murmured the Weasel in thought. He then sneered, "Course Reggie gonna be's like's me." The mustela poured another drink in his glass as Nick suppressed the urge to shudder at the idea of_ ** _Two_** _Rick's. It was the mobster's turn to stare into his swirling glass. "College costa lotta money."_

 _"Your Goldmine scam does well," commented Nick, pointing his drink at the Weasel, "but not well enough for Z.U." He brought his drink back to his lips. "...Maybe a million will cover it?"_

 _"Ha!" laughed Rick, "It's gonna take more den a million."_

 _"So it's just a matter of money," the vulpine said slyly, a victorious smirk with it._

 _Rick leaned forward, "Five million."_

 _"Two," countered Nick, "and I'll have Mr. Big throw some weight around to Mary a recommendation to Z.U."_

 _"Four," replied the Weasel who pointed a clawed digit at the tod, "An I's get me's a new car."_

 _"Well if it's new," murmured the Fox, he glanced down at his drink before back at the mustela. "Let's make it there and you get to pick out that car." Nick sipped his drink. Mr. Big had given him instructions to give Rick whatever he wanted, and in return the Weasel would set up a meeting between the arctic Shrew and the leaders in the Rainforest. Still, if the young hustler could walk away with a good deal than his boss would prefer that over selling everything._

 _Rick frowned. He brought his drink up to his lips, but before he drank he placed if back down. "Wha does Big want fur Three million an a car?"_

 _"A meeting," responded Nick, "He wants to stop this senseless fighting."_

 _The mustela smirked, and a glint of something that the tod couldn't read shimmered in Rick's eyes. The glint disappeared as fast as it appeared and the mobster raised his glass. "I set's it up, ya? You's jus make sure Mr. Big lives up to his side of da bargin"_

 _"I can do that," the tod replied easily, raising his glass, "I can promise you that."_

 _Rick's grin grew, "Ta peace in da Rainforest."_

* * *

"The car latest a little while," added Reggie, looking directly at the Fox, "A year or two I think...all I remember is one morning we didn't have in." The young mammal shrugged, "I assumed that Rick wrapped it around a pole since this is when he started drinking hard."

Wilde shook his head, "Of course he did..." The Fox tapped a claw on his dwindling coffee. "The meeting went faster than I expected, and when I arrived back Mr. Big thought Rick didn't want to deal."

"...But he did." pressed Reggie.

The tod nodded curtly, glancing up briefly at the young mammal. "Yes...he did."

* * *

 _Nick cursed his luck as he trudged through the swampy ground of the Canal District. The limo got stuck in traffic and the young hustler had to improvise and jump on the next train over. From there it was close to a two mile walk. He would have taken a taxi, but of course none were stopping for a Fox. The tod continued walking, cursing the fact that his pants were getting soaked. The meeting was supposed to start at 8, and last he checked it was past 830. Nick walked down the road to the address for the meeting, trees and swampland flanking him. What was confusing the vulpine was the sun was still shining through the trees.. It should have set awhile ago. As he approached his destination, the sun grew brighter. The tod turned a corner, and his eyes went wide and ears went flat._

 _Before the young hustler was a large warehouse engulfed in flames. The few windows the building once had were all shattered as tongues of flames shot out of the openings. A sliding door was slightly open, revealing the bright orange and reds dancing inside the building. The blaze was so hot that the Fox felt the heat from where he stood a distance away. As he stood in abject horror, the roof collapsed. The groan of metal as the building couldn't support itself any longer filled the air. It fell with such force that the tod felt the ground beneath his paws shake. If there were any mammals alive in the building, they weren't anymore. Nick heard the sound of someone laughing to his left. He looked through the trees, but the shadows cast by the fire weren't willing to let his eyes see who was in the woods. The for stepped cautiously off the road and towards the sound of what the vulpine could describe better as cackling._

 _Through the trees Nick walked quietly as the cackling turned into talk. It sounded like two mammals discussing something. He stopped behind a tree and listened._

 _"You think their all dead boss?" asked a voice. It carried the natural baritone that feline's were known to possess. There was a hint of trepidation in the voice as well._

 _The cackle once again sounded, "Oh I knows it! No mammals walkin' aways from dat!" The familiar higher pitched voice of Rick could be heard by the tod. "Mista Big's gonna love dis," Nick heard a manical giggle, "Dere ain't no vyolence if dere ain't any mammals!"_

 _Nick's heart froze. A breeze picked up and the smell of burning flesh and fur assaulted the vulpine's sensitive nose. The disgusting smell had the tod's stomach turning, and slowly a realization dawned on the young hustler. "Rick...killed them..." He turned to look at the still burning mess of metal and siding that was once a warehouse. Now from his vantage point, Nick could see several bodies lying in front of the building. All of them were facing away from the building._ _Pools of blood reflected around the dead mammals as the light from the inferno started to die down. A sound caught the young hustler's attention. A cry of pain followed by a wet guttural sound came from the other side of the tree. The best way Nick could describe it, is as if a mammal had thrown up. He moved cautiously to the side of the tree and peeked a wide eye around the trunk._

 _A Jaguar wearing a black button down and slacks was lying on his back. The feline's claws peaked out of his raised paws as a shocked look was on his face. The tension in the Big Cat's body melted and the mammal lay motionless on the ground. Crouched on the mammal's chest was a Weasel. The mustela head jerked upwards and the cackle from before echoed in the air._

 _Nick couldn't help it, his body moved on instinct at the sight before him, he stepped back. The rustle of the undergrowth caught the insane mammal's attention. The tod stood frozen as the mobster pulled a knife out of the feline's chest and stood. In the dying light of the fire, and what little of the moon's light getting through, the Fox saw Rick perfectly._

 _The crazed mammal was in similar attire to when they first met, except crimson was splashed across the Weasel's shirt and pants. The knife in his paw dripped slowly with fresh blood as the mustela held the weapon with the blade facing down. Rick's eyes were wide and the black pupils of the mammal seemed to be completely dilated. The most frightening part for Nick was the Weasel's smile. It stretched completely across his muzzle and showed all the pointed teeth of the mobster._ _Rick stepped forward slowly. "Dere ya are Wilde's," the mammal said in a chipper tone, "I was lookin' fur ya!" The mobster swaggered towards the Fox, the same confidence as in his house. Each step of Rick's shortening the life of the young hustler._

 _The vulpine wasn't sure what to do. Negotiations had gone sour before, but Nick had never been muzzle to muzzle with a mammal covered in blood. He hesitantly stepped back. Before he had time to move further, Rick charged at the Fox. The young hustler tripped and fell backwards. He back pedaled away from the insane killer until his back hit a tree. The Weasel had caught up to the tod, and with a bloodied paw grabbed the collar of his shirt._

 _"Where ya goin?" The mustela questioned, a sadistic glee present in his gaze, "doncha wanna see what three million bought ya!?" He pulled the frightened tod to the ground. Nick tried to rise, but a weight appeared on his back. Rick pulled the Fox's muzzle up and brought the bloody knife right to the young hustler's throat. "Look at dat beautee," commented the Weasel. He giggled and Nick felt the knife bounce against his throat, "Dere ain't no vyolence if dere all dead, ya know?"_

 _There was nothing left of the warehouse but embers and the bodies still lying on the ground. He didn't realize it at that time, but it was this memory that would haunt Nick for years to come. He watched as the life that was the fire die, just as the vulpine's was about too. He dug his claws in the ground as his mind raced to try and find any solution to his dilemma. "Think Slick. Gotta be something to offer him...family, no...He mentioned three million...that might mean..."_

 _"It was fun,_ ** _Wilde,"_** _started Rick, the tension in the knife building, "but da party gotta stop-"_

 _"_ ** _MONEY!?_** _" Nick exclaimed, tears running down his cheeks, "I-if I die before reporting to Big, then you don't get the money." It was a bluff as the money had been wired at 8, but the vulpine hoped that the Weasel hadn't checked his account recently. He was panting as adrenaline pumped throughout his body. The tod's instincts were in fight or flight mode, and he wanted to do was run very far away._

 _Rick mumbled incoherently and the knife was pulled away from Nick's throat. The Weasel let go the Fox's muzzle and moved off his back. "I ain't got da monies yet?"_

 _The vulpine got onto his knees and a paw to his throat as he breathed deeply. Nick closed his eyes and_ ** _prayed_** _that whatever deity or deities looked over him would make this all a bad dream. He opened his eyes and saw the wet ground underneath his paw and still smelled burnt flesh. He laughed as tears continued to roll through his fur. The young hustler stood and for one brief moment embraced the...madness...that was his situation. "I've gone mad like Rick!" thought the tod bitterly. He tried desperately to suppress his mirth, "Yep Rick! You need me to make it back to Mr. Big." Nick turned around and spread his arms out wide, "I'm untouchable!" His paws went to his stomach as the laughter cramped his midsection._

 _"Don't press ya luck," warned Rick, the mad grin gone as the Weasel stood with his paws close to his sides. The knife was still in paw and still covered in fresh blood. "I ain't doin' dis fur free." He pointed his weapon at the vulpine, "You's jus make sure dat Mr. Big pays. Cause if he doesn't..." Rick cocked his head to the side and drew the knife in front of his own neck. The sadistic smile and wide eyes were back once more on the mustela's muzzle. "I'm gonna see 'im in Tundra Town...ya know!?"_

 _The message was loud and clear to the still terrified Fox. Nick nodded frantically as he backed away from the armed Weasel, paws in front of him defensively. "D-don't worry R-rick...Mr. Big's ga-good for it." He tried to smile reassuringly, but his emotions slipped and it turned panicked._

 _Rick rolled his head upon his shoulders unfazed by the vulpine. He stepped forward, eyes never leaving the tod's fearful gaze. "Run foxy," he growled, "before I's change my mind."_

 _Nick bolted._

* * *

"I didn't stop till I reached the train and spent the entire time at the station jumping at every noise." Wilde chuckled, "Its funny now thinking about me hiding in a trash can wearing a suit, but at the time I was terrified."

"Wow," deadpanned Reggie as he pushed his half eaten plate to the side, "Rick threatened you. That's really scary." The meal had been perfectly made for the Weasel. It was a grilled cheese with fried pickles and a small cup of tomato soup. When it first arrived at the table, the young mammal couldn't help but think of home and his own mother. It turned to ash in his mouth during the Fox's story. He understood the fear that Rick could put in another mammal's heart and was well aware of how destructive his father could be. That didn't give Wilde the right to speak as if he understood how much of a monster "Mad Rick" truly was.

"Do you know what I would call your experience?" started Reggie, his anger bubbling towards the tod. He let out a slow breath and stared down the Fox. "I would call that Tuesday." His lips twitched as if to snarl as his emotions continued to grow. "After he killed everyone, peace did come to the Rainforest," the young mammal raised a clawed digit, "except in **_One_** household." His throat grew tight as his chin quivered. "It didn't happen at first, but when he started showing how… _mad_ he truly was…and then it kept spiraling." Memories of the not distant enough past rose up in the mustela's mind. His anger subsided, but was replaced with fear and regret. Sitting in the diner with the smell of the Rainforest permeating the building after eating a meal that could have been made by his mother, Reggie felt like a kit again. He wrapped his arms defensively and looked out the window. "I did my best…" whispered the Weasel to his reflection.

How many times did Reggie throw himself between his mother and father? How many times did his mother do the same for him? The young mammal learned that if he could take the pain, take all of the insanity that his father threw at him during their "lessons," then Rick would be too tired to hit his mother. It didn't stop the older Weasel from trying. There were nights where no matter how long the little Weasel lasted, Rick would still go after his mom.

"I didn't know," Wilde said softly.

Reggie wiped away some stray tears, "Yeah well…it's not something we talk about" Everyone except Mary was aware of what Rick did, and how his sister remained ignorant the Weasel didn't know. "It's why I hate you," the young mammal said, turning back to the older officer, "I blamed you like Rick did when everything started to turn sour."

"Do you still blame me now?" Wilde asked. The Fox's muzzle blank of any emotion.

"What do you want me to say Wilde?" retorted Reggie with a glare, "That somehow I've gotten over this thinking and now all of a sudden we're going to be buddies?" The Weasel shook his head with a sigh, "Can you even say truthfully that you trust me to watch your back?" Silence was the tod's response. "I feel the same way." The young mammal leaned against the table on his elbows. He looked at Wilde and asked the question both mammals were thinking. "So what now?"

The Fox leaned back in the booth and closed his eyes. "I have no idea." He brought up his paws and rubbed his eyes, "I expected this conversation to go differently."

Reggie snorted, "Did you think we were going to be best friends after talking once?"

Wilde straightened up and grinned, "Pretty much what happened to me and carrots."

"I think there's a difference in Hopps and your relationship," the Weasel snidely remarked, "And I don't think we'll end up as _close_."

The tod laughed and the mustela smiled a small smile. "I think fluff would have something to say if we got **_that_** close." He groaned and reached behind him. The Fox pulled out his wallet and looked at the table squinting. Wilde eventually pulled out a few bills and tossed them on the table.

"I thought it was on the house?" questioned the Weasel.

The Fox smirked, "Whenever my mother tells me that, it means I'm paying for the guest." He gestured to the unfinished plate, "I'm just glad she didn't give you the salmon steak or some other special." The tod grabbed his empty coffee cup and placed it closer to the edge. "I'm going to be here for awhile longer, so feel free to head out when you're ready."

"Oh…ok" the Weasel started awkwardly. He slid out of the booth. Reggie looked back at Wilde who was watching the mustela. "I guess I'll see you at work?"

The older officer nodded, "Not as much as today…but yes you will."

"Well…see you later…partner?" Reggie tested. It turned his stomach slightly and tasted bitter to the mustela, but he wasn't feeling as volatile about the idea like before. Maybe getting everything out in the open would help.

"Safe travels Weselton," Wilde replied with a two digit salute.

The Weasel turned to walk away, but the Fox called out to him, "Hey Reggie!" The young mammal glanced back at the Fox. Wilde was leaning over the table and had mysterious smirk. "It's a late night tonight. You should get a coffee tomorrow morning." He winked, "Need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed."

Reggie frowned. What Wilde was saying sounded like a trap, but he couldn't see how. Of course there was only one place that the Weasel wanted to get coffee from, and he **_Really_** wanted to see Sheri. Still the doubts from the morning were still present. The Weasel yawned and blinked heavily. Doubts or not, the tod was right in Reggie would need a pick me up. "Yeah…sure Wilde." The young mammal left the Fox as his thoughts swirled around the pro's and con's of going to Snarlbucks the next morning. He pushed the door of the diner open. Reggie closed his eyes and breathed in the heavy air of the Rainforest. The Weasel felt lighter. He didn't trust Wilde, but the air between them felt clearer than before. The mustela opened his eyes and breathed out. Maybe, just maybe, he could be Wilde's partner. Reggie's hind paws carried him towards the train station as the young mammal mulled over everything that the Fox had said.

* * *

Reggie was once again standing across the street from Snarlbucks. It was his second day heading back to work and the Weasel was wearing his uniform. He was exhausted from the night before and something caffeinated and warm sounded amazing to the mustela. He hesitated as his sleep troubled by the doubts of what Reggie wanted to do. "Its fine Regg," he muttered quietly, "she probably doesn't even remember you."

 _"What if she does though? How mad would she be for you abandoning her?"_

"I didn't abandon her," countered the Weasel, "I simply did my job."

 _"The job she doesn't know about?"_

"Well-"

 _"The job that you were so worried she wouldn't believe that you made up a little game?"_

"I mean she-"

 _"The job you don't deserve?"_

"Stop!" Reggie commanded loudly, a paw swiping out in front of him. He ran the same paw over his eyes. "I'm too tired to care about even what **_I_** think. So if you don't mind me…me!" He straightened out his uniform shirt and marched forward. The voices of doubt were shouting at him to stop but a simple thought kept him moving. _"I spoke to a mammal that made me want to throttle him and didn't hurt him… **TOO** much…so I think I can talk to a mammal that I actually like." _

Reggie pressed forward until he was in front of the door. He wretched it open and stepped right in. The mustela stood with his paws planted on his hips and spoke with all confidence he could muster. "I need a drink!"

The Snarlbucks was abandoned except for a raccoon with a rag in her paw that was interrupted from her wiping down a table. Sheri stared at the Weasel, shock obvious on her face. She dropped the rag and started to straighten up.

"I mean," backpedaled Reggie, embarrassed at what he had just done, "If it's not too much trouble." Every mammal, every single one of them, who had called the young mammal a moron, would have been proud of his stupidity at that moment. He stepped backwards, "You know what I'm not feeling thirsty." He smiled crookedly as one of his paws searched for the door, "I think I'm going to head out and-"

"Don't I get my guess?" asked Sheri expectantly.

"Wha?"

"My guess," answered the raccoon easily. She stepped closer to the Weasel and wiped her paws on her apron. "I get to guess what your job is, and you give me something in return." Her eyes remained fixed on the young mammal as she rolled a paw in the air, "Of course you get to ask me a question as well." The procyon was an arm's length away from the mustela.

"Isn't it obvious?" questioned Reggie as he gestured to his uniform.

"Mmmhmm," responded Sheri with a nod, "I'm actually disappointed I didn't get it correct earlier." She stepped closer into Reggie's personal space, his breath catching in his chest as her brown eyes stared into his. "You're caring and brave," started the female, not breaking eye contact as she spoke. "You're smart and strong…" She placed a paw on his chest and then looked down at his chest wide eyed. "…and solid. Horns above! Do you grate cheese on that?"

"Um," Reggie started, "no?"

"Sorry," Sheri chuckled, "that was awkward."

"It's ok. I'm still pretty embarrassed by how I entered."

The barista laughed and looked back at Reggie. "You, Mister Reginald C. Weaselton, are a cop."

"How'd you figure that out?" muttered the Weasel amusedly.

She shrugged, "Officer Wilde is a regular of mine." The procyon smirked at the young officer, "Cops aren't the only one with informants."

Reggie laughed and reached up to clasp both of Sheri's shoulders. She was touching him, so he could touch her right? He cleared his throat, "So…what do you want from me?"

"Well," Sheri started, leaning in closer, "I was thinking…"

"Yeah?" the Weasel swallowed dryly. She was so close… **SO CLOSE** …that their lips were a breath away. Reggie wanted to lean in closer and diminish the gap. How many times did he dream about this moment? He could seize the opportunity and simply do it. Damn the consequences **AND** the torpedoes! All he had to do was-

A soft digit landed on his lips and pushed him slightly away. "A date!" Sheri exclaimed. A quick glance at the barista showed how excited she truly was. "Reggie I've been waiting **forever** for you to ask me out, and I'm not having you get out of it!" She poked his chest for emphasis. The procyon then stepped back, and folded her paws behind her. "Well," she started coyly, a hind paw twisting on the ground, "aren't you going to ask your question?"

Reggie's muzzle had fallen open, but he shook his head and tried to recover. He rubbed the back of his head and looked away, "Ah…well, um…Sheri!" He said too loudly and waving a paw to her. It didn't escape the mustela's attention that said paw was shaking slightly. It felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest. "Will you…uh…that is…if you would like too-"

"Reggie," interrupted Sheri softly. The Weasel looked at the softly smiling barista. "Just breathe and relax." Her smile grew, "You know my answer."

Reggie breathed in deeply and then let it out slowly. She's right. He knew her answer, but never in a million years did the young officer ever think he would be in this situation. There were few fantasies that the mustela had with him being together with Sheri, and even then he considered them selfish. He stepped forward and brought both his paws forward. Seeming to read his mind the raccoon placed hers in his. "Will you go out with me?"

Sheri beamed and squeezed the Weasel's paws, "Of course I will."


	42. First Date

Reggie was happy. No, that wasn't the right word. Cheerful? Elated? Overjoyed? No, none of them seemed right to the Weasel. He felt more positive than any of those words could express. So much so that the smile he was wearing when he entered Precinct One had turned a few heads. Oh the young officer knew that it seemed odd for the mammal that many saw either scowling or nervous to be smiling, but he didn't care what any of them thought today.

He looked at the empty Snarlbucks up sitting on his desk, its contents long gone, and sighed contently. Of course Reggie _**had**_ to have a Dirty Chai created by his favorite raccoon, and of course Sheri had put all her love into making it. Love? No, that's not right either. Affection? Interest? Lust? The Weasel shook his head before the final word set him on a completely different path of thinking about procyon. The barista had also written her number on it, making it even more valuable. He was supposed to finishing up his reports and then helping file and finish some reports from different officers. None of them were After-Action or injury reports, but simply bland equipment usage and replacement forms. Because of how bland they were, and how great of a morning Reggie was having, it was hard for the young officer to finalize the last of his reports and move on to the next task.

The Weasel leaned back into his uncomfortable chair and stared at his computer screen. Instead of seeing his work though, all he saw was the brilliant smile that Sheri had as she had worked on his drink. He closed his eyes and he could imagine just hours ago holding her paws and feeling as though the world had just brightened. Self doubts about Sheri can't exist when she was smiling like that for Reggie. He learned that lesson quickly and would try to hold onto it and not let his own hang ups get in the way of what his heart wanted. It didn't mean that he would always succeed, but the mustela felt like he was standing on the precipice of something amazing. Reggie wouldn't back down now.

The door to the office opened and the young officer sighed heavily, "I thought you said I wouldn't see you?" There was only one mammal who would enter without knocking, and unfortunately the Weasel shared an office with him. If Reggie wanted to see Sheri desperately today, then he didn't want to see Wilde for a month.

The Fox chuckled, and the mustela could hear the soft tap of the vulpine's claws on the floor. "I said not as much, but I didn't say never." The tapping stopped and there was a brief moment of silence before the tod sipped loudly.

Reggie groaned as he opened his eyes. A quick glance showed the older older officer standing next to the younger's desk holding a Snarlbucks cup. The cup, and the cocky smirk on the Fox's muzzle, told the mustela what Wilde wanted to talk about. That didn't mean that Reggie simply would. "Can I help you, Wilde?"

"Well," the tod started, swishing his cup around, "I heard a rumor that a certain Weselton was quite happy today."

"It's Weaselton," Reggie shot with a glare, "and you know that."

Wilde's smirk grew as he brought up a paw in surrender, "Sorry, slip of the tongue." The amused glint in the Fox's eye said otherwise. " _Anyway_ I heard a rumor about you being happy and couldn't help but notice how _great_ my drink was today. Not that Sher-"

"Cut the act," interrupted the Weasel, "I know you know Sheri. She told me as much. What that doesn't answer is why your bugging me today?" Reggie couldn't help but take some satisfaction in the slight twitch of the vulpine's smirk. Obviously Wilde hadn't counted on Reggie being so direct about the matter. The Fox recovered quickly and a knowing smile replaced the annoying smirk.

"Well I'm glad to hear that Sheri was able to hustle a date out of you," a brow rose on the tod, but the smile remained, "You did ask her out... _right_?"

The young officer leaned back into his chair with a huff and folded his arms, "What's it matter to you?"

"Just want to make sure your treating the best barista around with respect," offered Wilde, "Don't want my drinks to sour because of you." He leaned against the Weasel's desk and started swirling his drink once more, "So where you taking her?"

Reggie had a retort ready, something about Wilde's tail and where they _**weren't**_ going, but it died on his lips. The question began to sink in as the Weasel realized he had no plan whatsoever for the date. Instead of a sharp quip, all that came out of the mustela's muzzle was, "Uhhh..."

"You don't a plan do you," Wilde deadpanned.

The young officer opened his muzzle once more, but closed it almost immediately. He had no plan. The Weasel's mind started racing on who to ask for help. _"Snarlov? No that'll end terribly...Grizzoli? Meh his good time out is fish...Hopps...?"_ He glanced at Wilde who was quietly staring at the Weasel. _"Too close to Wilde, and I **Definitely** don't want him knowing..." _The annoying tod already knew more than enough about Reggie's family. He didn't want Wilde to learn about his personal relationship as well. _"Who else then..."_

"I might have a few ideas," said the older officer smugly. Reggie spared a glance at the Fox and saw him polishing his claws on his uniform. "My record for dates is spotless."

 _"Spotless...Spots...Clawhauser!"_ Reggie realized he shouted the last part, and the cocked back ears of the older officer suggested quite loudly as well. He pushed out of his chair and moved past Wilde. "I gotta go Wilde," Reggie said as he past the tod, "I'm assuming you were going to say something snarky and I don't have a response." The young officer picked up his pace to the door, but was stopped by Wilde. "Weaselton wait!" The usage of his full last name gave the Weasel pause. He turned curiously to look at the tod.

Several emotions flashed across the older officer's muzzle. The most obvious to the young officer was surprise and dubiousness. After a brief second of silence, Wilde finally spoke, "You're really not going to take my advice?"

Reggie balked, "Why would I?" He rolled his eyes, "Fleas Wilde. We're partners, not friends." The Weasel turned to leave, but spun back around and pointed at the vulpine with a clawed digit. "And what friends I do have use my name correctly." The young officer huffed and left the Fox to his thoughts.

* * *

"Are you sure this'll work?" questioned Reggie for the umpteenth time.

"Relax Regg, you'll look great!" answered Mary.

The male Weasel wasn't as convinced as his sister. He was standing in the dressing room of some clothing store he couldn't care less about, trying on small mammal button downs because his own wardrobe had been declared unacceptable by Clawhauser. The feline hadn't even seen what Reggie had and deemed it that. It had been two days since their conversation and if not the desk officer's ability to conjure reservations out of thin air, and his promise to keep the date a secret, Reggie may have walked away from the Big Cat altogether. Probably. Possibly. Maybe.

"Come on out and lemme see!" wined his sister.

Reggie sighed as he looked at his reflection in the full length mirror. They had decided on a lilac button down with a fresh pair of black pants. Folding lines on both pieces of clothing stood out the young mammal. He felt foolish. Eventually he pushed the door separating him and his sister open. The mustela stepped forward with his paws at his side.

Mary was sitting on a small mammal sized chair in scrubs. Reggie knew she hadn't even had a chance to head back to the apartment before meeting him here. An amused look came over her face as she watched the male Weasel. "Jeez Regg this isn't Prom, you can loosen up. Oh wait," she tapped a digit on her pursed lips and looked away, "You never did go to your Senior Prom did you?"

"Hard to enjoy yourself when you beat up or wanted to beat up most of your classmates," grumbled the male as he pulled his shirt down. "This shirt feels like it's riding up on me."

"That's what you said about the last one."

"Well it was was true then too!" snapped Reggie as he remained fixated on the shirt. "I'm all torso, how am I supposed to wear any shirt well." He sighed and went to sit next to Mary. "Maybe this isn't a good idea."

"Well I disagree," replied Mary calmly. Reggie felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. "And this gal is special enough to get my brother out on the town, well then she must be something."

"I don't even know what she is," groaned Reggie as he leaned forward. His elbows resting on his knees as he placed his head in them.

"Wait...you mean like species?" asked Mary.

The male chuckled, "No...I mean to me...I don't know what she means to _**me**_."

"Reggie, how many dates have you been on?"

Reggie looked at his sister, "You know the answer to that."

"Exactly, zero," she stood up and moved in front of the male, "How many have I been on?"

"I try not to count," the older brother muttered.

The younger sister laughed, a paw coming to cover her muzzle. She cleared her throat, but a mirth filled smile remained, "We'll say enough then." The female placed a paw on the male's shoulder. "Enough to know that first dates don't decide if you're going to be together forever." She grabbed his arm and pulled for him to stand. Reggie followed with little resistance. "First dates are you and her getting to know one another in an intimate setting," Mary continued, she wrapped an arm around Reggie's and led him forward. "This way you two can see if you click outside of where you normally meet." She had led the officer to three standing mirrors on a slightly raised platform. The sister gave her brother a nudge, "Go, get up there and see."

Reggie stepped up and between the mirrors. He could see his left and right without turning, and what he saw wasn't as bad as he thought. The pants sat firmly at his waistline with the shirt tucked in evenly all around. Both did their jobs in staying tight enough to the mustela's body to show off what muscle he did have, but also didn't feel too tight. Reggie even liked how his tail looked when partnered with the pants. He bobbed his tail up and down. The young mammal nodded in approval. When he looked forward though, his opinion changed. His facial features similar to his father's, the Weasel felt he was looking at Rick. "I look like dad," Reggie sighed. His shoulders slumped and stuffed his paws in his pants pockets.

"No," Mary tried to salvage, "Yo-you don't look like him." She stepped up next to the male and turned his shoulders towards her. The sister scrutinized every inch of her brother with a keen eye. She smirked victoriously, "You actually look like Duke." Reggie scoffed and rolled his eyes. "No you do!" pressed Mary, "Like his younger photos, pre-us coming and giving him wrinkles."

The male huffed once more, but then really looked at his reflection. He had seen pictures of young Duke, Duchess pretty much had _**Every**_ photo up on the walls somewhere, and the male started to see the resemblance. Was it in the muzzle? Or maybe the whiskers? Possibly his ears? For the first time in his life, Reggie didn't see Rick looking back in the mirror. "Huh," he contemplated, "Maybe you're right."

" _Of course_ I'm right Regg," Mary exclaimed as she hung slightly off him, "Why would I lie to you?"

"Because you like to start trouble?" Reggie replied with a raised brow.

"Shush you," Mary expertly retorted, "Little sisters are allowed to get their older siblings in trouble." She ended her statement with a hip check into the male. Reggie stumbled slightly, but simply shook his head and chuckled. "Let's get out of here," the sister said, exhaustion starting to seep into her voice, "Today was killer and I need to rest my paws."

"Sure thing Mare. Let me get changed and pay." Reggie stepped off the platform first, but turned when he didn't hear his sister following. She was standing, looking at own reflection this time. There was something in her expression, longing perhaps, that the brother hadn't before. Of course it immediately hit Reggie why she looked that way. If he looked like Rick er...Duke, then she looked like their mother. "Hey Mare," Reggie called out, gaining the females attention, "You really do look like mom." His own soft smile was matched by his sister's. He reached out and paw and cocked his head in the direction of the registers, "Come on, let's get outta here."

Mary smirked as she brushed away Reggie's outreached paw, stepping down to his level. She once again wrapped her arm around his, "Anything for my favorite brother."

* * *

They were meeting at six and Reggie was a few minutes early. By a few minutes, he really meant a half hour. The Weasel had planned on showering and getting cleaned up for the date, but didn't account for getting his work done early. He could have sat their and messed around, or even spent some time in the gym, but the built up nervous energy didn't allow the mustela to think it through. Instead he ran out of his office to the locker room, hopped in the shower and was out the Precinct One door before five. Now the Weasel was standing on the corner of Sheri's street wondering what he should do.

In an attempt to alleviate some of the stress from the Weasel, Clawhauser had asked where Reggie's date lived. It was at that moment that the mustela realized he had no idea. After the feline calmed the young officer down, using Z.P.D. methods no less, the bubbly Cheetah just told the Weasel to ask her. So of course, like a fool, Reggie rushed out of Precinct One to Snarlbucks. Sheri laughed at the frantic appearance of the young officer, never seeing him so stressed before, but easily agreed and wrote her address on a napkin for him. Now the mustela had on his desk a coffee cup with her number and a napkin with her address.

 _"Is it weird I didn't toss those things?"_ contemplated Reggie, _"I mean both items are trash now."_

 _"Well what if your phone got wet and you lost all of her info? Or the paper in your wallet with it written on was destroyed? Or the note you left at the apartment was set aflame? Or if your memory was wiped and you forgot what you memorized?"_

Reggie shook his head in realization, "Rutt me, I'm a creep." He ran a paw on his throat. He looked down the street once more. On each side were older buildings on the First Forest level. They were all either built into the trees, or made to look like the trunks of trees. Reggie wasn't sure which it was, but nonetheless he had walked the block three times to make sure he was at the right location.

 _"1755 Maplewood street,"_ Reggie thought, _"Just like what the napkin, phone, note and memory say..."_

He knew it was the right place. Anywhere else in Zootopia and Reggie would have been second guessing himself, but the Rainforest District is where he was born. Sure he knew the ground level the best, but he had explored and hid in all parts of the district. The problem he was having was that Sheri's name was on the apartment call box. If he rang now than everything would become real, no more fantasies or dreams. It would mean that if he messed up now, there was no going back and fixing any of mistakes. Granted if he didn't try now, and he ran away with his tail between his legs, then not only Reggie but Sheri would be hurt by his fear. Hurting the barista was unacceptable to the officer.

"What did Hopps always hum?" Reggie muttered. He chuckled as he remembered, "That's right, 'Try Everything.'" The Rabbit's infatuation with Gazelle always amused the Weasel, but now it would give him the necessary push. "Well," Reggie started, slapping his paws together, "If this fails, I'll blame it on Gazelle." With a nod, the mustela stepped his first steps truly towards Sheri's address. It was a short, and now familiar, walk but one that raised the Weasel's anxiety with each hind paw in front of the other. Still he did not waver on his mission, and eventually he was standing outside the door. Reggie pressed the raccoon's call button.

"Just a sec!" came Sheri's voice from the speaker. Reggie stuffed his paws into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his hind paws. He was a ball of nerves. The Weasel breathed slowly in and out, trying to calm down. He pulled at the lilac shirt as the young mammal swore he felt it riding up. _"I knew this damnable shirt was a mistake! Fleas and Ticks I'm going to tell Mare when I get back. I should ha-"_ The Weasel's thoughts were interrupted by the click of the door. Reggie scrambled to straighten out his shirt before the door swung open. The Weasel was midway through his task when he stopped, stunned at the sight before him.

Sheri had opened the door to reveal she was wearing a knee high white dress with a floral pattern. The pattern was thin, green vines running from the hem to the neckline. Intermittent throughout the vines were small flowers of red, blue, purple and yellow, all with black centers. The vines drew Reggie's gaze upwards, to the face of the dress wearer. The raccoon's salt and pepper grey fur seemed to heighten the white of the dress. The white around her muzzle and framing the "Bandits mask" was groomed to perfection and made her confused brown eyes stand out even more.

 _"Confused...?"_

The Weasel wasn't aware how long he had been staring, but the obvious answer was "Too long."

"Are you alright Reggie?" chortled Sheri. She bit the side of her lip to cut back on her mirth.

"I'm fine," hurried the Weasel as his paws continuing to smooth out invisible wrinkles, "Just never saw you in a dress before."

"You don't like it?" the raccoon asked coyly, her paws wiping imaginary dirt from the front of the dress.

"I love it," breathed Reggie unconsciously. Realization at what he said set in as a blush appeared in the barista's ears. His own cheeks heated up, and the mustela was glad his fur wasn't a lighter color. "I love the dress," Reggie tried to correct, "And...uh...you look great in it..."

"Thanks!" Sheri exclaimed, her eyes scanned the Weasel, "You look nice too." There was a glint of something in the procyon's eye that Reggie couldn't comprehend, and he saw her tail swish briefly behind her. "You're early, but thankfully I was prepared." On her shoulder was a small, red spaghetti string purse and in her paw a black umbrella with a curved, wooden handle. "I've learned since moving here that you never know when it'll rain," explained Sheri. She closed the door and smiled, "Ready to go?"

Reggie tried to smile back, but his nerves turned it into a grimace, "As I'll ever be."

* * *

Clawhauser had gotten Reggie a reservation at family restaurant called "Summer Heat" located on the second level of the forest. The Weasel had heard of it before, but personally had never been. Even though it was a family restuarant, it was such a staple in the Rainforest District that you **_Needed_** reservations on its busiest nights. How the feline was able to secure the reservation, the young officer didn't ask. He was simply grateful to have it.

The pair walked through the glass doors and their senses were immediately assaulted by a blast of cool air, the smell of food, sound of a live band and the sight of the colorful restaurant. The walls started a dark, navy blue on the bottom and grew lighter and lighter until it reached the sky blue ceiling. All the booths had different colored pane glass chandeliers above them, casting different hues of color onto the blue walls. Throughout the ceiling were small lights that helped illuminate the rest of the restaurant and the tables underneath them. Finally in the middle of it all was a large willow with green lights in its leaves, flashing intermittently like fireflies. It was an amazing sight, one that left Reggie in awe.

"It's beautiful..." Sheri whispered. Reggie just barely heard her over the play of the band and looked towards her. The raccoon's eyes were shimmering with wonder and a kitlike glee. It pulled on the Weasel's heart as he wanted to see that look again and again. "Not as beautiful as you," he murmured.

The barista turned to the mustela with her head cocked, "What you say?"

"I think we need to check in," covered the Weasel, once again embarrassed by his slip up, "Let me see if I can get to them." The raccoon didn't look convinced, but eventually she relented with a nod. Reggie moved through the crowd, avoiding mammals large and small as he made his way to the Maitre'd.

It turned out to be a older, rotund Black Bear standing at a large podium whose jovial laugh cut through the noise of the restuarant. It was some time before Reggie was able to get the ursine's attention. Eventually the Bear noticed the Weasel and bent down closer. "Can I help you sir?" He asked in a cheerful tone.

"I should have a reservation for two under Weaselton."

The Maitre'd straightened up and looked at the top of his podium, mumbling as his claw ran over something out of Reggie's vision. The Bear stopped and quirked a brow upwards, "Are you 'Cutie Weaselton?'"

 _"Clawhauser!?"_ Reggie mentally scolded, _"He's just getting a **plain** donut **now!?** " _The Weasel choked down his annoyance and nodded with a strained smile, "Mmmhmm."

The ursine chuckled and shook his head, "You're not the first Benji did this too. If your other half is here, bring them up and we can have you seated early."

Reggie, still a mixture of miffed and embarrassed went back and collected Sheri. The raccoon looked concern when she saw the Weasel and asked what is wrong. Reggie simply smiled and shook his head, no need for more flustering details tonight. He gently grabbed the procyon by the paw and led her through the mass of mammals separating the pair from seating. Eventually they made it through, Reggie only having to stop abruptly for a tripping Giraffe, and were greeted by a brown female Hare with the nametag "Hannah."

The server led the two to a table in the corner, passing the four piece ensemble that the pair had heard when they entered. The music was soothing and only added to the feeling of the restaurant being a lazy summer evening. They were seated with one side of the table against the wall, away from a majority of the other patrons. Reggie was at first worried that they were trying to section him and Sheri off, it wouldn't have been the first time for the Weasel, but the server treated them so respectfully that it couldn't have been the case. After taking a quick drink order, waters for both of them, the server left the pair to examine the menu.

Reggie was having difficulty with his paws. The damage done to them had technically healed, but every now and then they would stiffen up and he had trouble bending his digits. He grimaced and cursed under his breath at his own feebleness. "Is something wrong?" The Weasel jumped, lost in his own thoughts he had momentarily forgotten that Sheri was there. He smiled nervously, "Nope, everything's fine!"

Sheri stared at the Weasel unconvinced before sighing and placing her menu down. "Reggie, I like you," the raccoon started. She motioned a paw between them, "But if you want me to be serious with you, then you need to tell me the truth." She placed a paw above her heart and gave a pleading look, "No matter how small you may think it is, I do want to know!"

Reggie looked away remorsefully. _"First date and already messing up Regg...perfect..."_ There was an easy step to his problem, but it felt like a gigantic leap. Admitting to anyone, even to Mary, when he was hurting was difficult for the Weasel. Doing so with Sheri meant that he would be putting a lot of trust on her. He looked back at the raccoon who was still expecting an answer. The mustela sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "My paws...uh...get stiff when I use them too much."

Sheri's head cocked, "Did you do something difficult today?"

"No, nothing like that. Just typing...but," Reggie leaned forward slightly, "I think the change in temperatures is causing the real problem."

The raccoon nodded and smiled, "See isn't that better?"

The mustela huffed, but smiled, "Still feel silly about it..."

"Soooo..." drew out the barista, "What happened with the Maitre'd?"

A blush burned his cheeks, and if Sheri's growing smile was anything to go off of, his ears as well. "Do I really have to tell you?" Reggie asked hesitantly.

The procyon giggled, a paw coming up to cover her muzzle, " _Especially_ if its embarrassing!"

Reggie grimaced again.

* * *

After revealing to Sheri comical name that their reservation was under, and stating her agreement with Clawhauser's decision, the rest of the dinner went great. They shared an appetizer of artichoke and crab dip with crostini before their entrees. Reggie ordered the easy digit food of fried crickets and a tuna salad sandwich. Sheri decided on a Linguine Alfredo with some fresh vegetables.

When she first ordered the dish, Reggie was worried that she may have been a Vegetarian. It was impossible for Weasels to be vegetarians without some heavy protein supplements as their bodies were built to eat meat. It was becoming apparent to the young mammal that Sheri could easily read him, as before he even asked his question she explained quickly that raccoon's were Omnivores but she just enjoyed veggies more than most. Their conversation was easy between the two and topics light in the beginning. As the meal progressed though, Reggie began to Sheri asking a specific question. That question being-

"So what do your parents do?"

Reggie audibly sighed, and threw the fried cricket into his mouth to give him time to think. As he chewed, the mustela considered his options.

 _"Truth?"_

 _"Hey Sheri! My dad was a mass murdering gangster who was stabbed to death and my mom was a stay at home who killed herself!"_

 _"So...no?"_

 _"Even your terrible social skills know not to bring that up in polite conversation."_

 _"True...How about a half truth? Parents are dead, living with aunt and uncle she knows about."_

 _"Dark subject-"_

 _"- She brought it up!"_

 _"*Sigh* It's makes the most sense..."_

Reggie swallowed the cricket and drank some of his water. The sigh definitely peaked Sheri's interest as she had stopped eating and was watching the mustela closely. "Their...uh," the Weasel looked away, "they died when I was young." The clatter of silverware caused Reggie to glance back at the raccoon. A look of horror was on Sheri's muzzle as a paw covered her mouth in shock.

"Reggie, I am so sorry. I didn't..."

The young mammal's normal response to this information was to cut mammals off before they started. He didn't want it or need others sympathy. With Sheri it was different. She had asked the Weasel to be truthful, and for her he would be. He reached a paw out and laid it on top of the one still on the table. "It's ok," he maintained his gaze as he shook his head slowly, "You didn't know. There's no reason to be sorry."

"It's not _really_ ok though..." mumbled the barista.

Reminded of their first interaction, Reggie chuckled quietly. "This time it is." She smiled appreciatively at the Weasel before picking up her silverware. "How about your family?" asked the mustela, "I've told you about my aunt, uncle and sister, but I don't remember you saying much about your family."

"There's not much to say," admitted Sheri with an apologetic shrug as she refocused on her meal, "They aren't as colorful as yours."

"I don't think _any_ family is as colorful as _mine_." Reggie joked. He was rewarded with a small giggle from his date, which only increased his smile. "Seriously though, tell me about them."

It was Sheri's turn to sigh as she placed her silverware down, this time with much less noise. Reggie grabbed another cricket as he saw the female's eyes lose some of its focus. "My dad is an overnight trucker," she started, "and my mom has been a waitress at the same diner since I was three." The barista picked up her fork and twirled pasta slowly onto it, "Neither one of them got farther than a High School education, and my dad dropped out after getting his driving license." She lifted the fork carefully up in the air, "They're both originally from a little town called Podunk in Deerbrooke." Sheri saw the blank stare from Reggie at both of those locations. "Just some little county out in the sticks," She answered. The barista finally opened her muzzle and bit down tenderly on her fork.

"Any siblings?" the Weasel continued to question.

"Three older brothers," replied the female, "We're all from the same litter, but I was the last one. So that means I'm the baby!" Sheri tried to smile, but it slipped. She shifted in her seat slightly before stabbing a piece of broccoli on her plate, "Mammals have underestimated me...underestimated what I can do..."

"Does that include your family?" pressed the mustela tentatively, hoping not to drag up too many memories.

Sheri glanced upwards, "It's more like my family doesn't have any ambition. Two of my brothers, Bobby and Billy, moved to Podunk when they turned eighteen and Stevie is still living with my parents." The raccoon leaned against the table as a sliver of determination shone across her face, "I've got a goal that I want to accomplish."

"And what's that?"

"I want to own my own coffee shop," the barista spoke fondly with a smile. It grew as her eyes found Reggie's, "I want a place that I own. Where _I'm_ the boss and I make decisions." The female's paws came to her cheeks, "I can just imagine what it'll look like. The sights, the sounds, the smells, talking with my regulars, all of it!" She sighed contentdly, "That's my _dream_." Sheri's big, brown eyes turned back onto Reggie, "What's yours?" Reggie's brow cocked at the question and the raccoon covered her eyes. "Of course, it's obvious."

"Well becoming a cop I wouldn't say was a dream," replied the Weasel. He waved a cricket in the air, "More like a want really." He tossed the cricket in his open maw. The meal was very good, but he hadn't eaten much on his sandwich. The Weasel grabbed a half and unceremoniously bit into it. Tuna wasn't his favorite fish, but if it was prepared like this each time the mustela would have considered eating it everyday. "I can't really say that I had a dream before I was fifteen," the Weasel waved flippantly with his free paw, "And before the M double I, I had no chance of becoming a cop either."

"What happened?"

Reggie stopped mid-chew, quietly cursing himself for bringing up Crystal. He continued to chew as he decided what to say next. Eventually he settled for the same answer he gave Hopps. "A friend of mine got hurt...badly...and after that I decided I didn't want another mammal to get hurt." His gaze wandered and landed on the blinking Willow tree. "I don't think I've been successful..."

"From what I heard, you've been doing great." Sheri said gingerly.

Reggie smiled appreciatively, "Thanks Sher." She smiled and returned to her meal. Reggie did the same, but his thoughts were on the raccoon. When she had talked about her dreams, there was a positivity that radiated from her. The Weasel wanted nothing more than to help the procyon prove to all of her doubters that she could succeed. He bit into his sandwich, but he no longer tasted the tuna, lettuce and tomato on rye. No, he was trying to do math that he didn't have numbers for. For a problem that wasn't his own. For a barista that the mustela had only taken out once.

 _"How much does it take to open a coffee shop?"_

* * *

"I had a great time," Sheri stated with a smile as she and Reggie walked side by side, "That place was beautiful!"

Reggie nodded, "The food was good too." The raccoon hummed in agreement.

It had been amazing in the Weasel's mind, with the only hiccup coming when the Maitre'd brought a creme brulee out for the couple. The Black Bear had informed them that it was on the House for the "Special Couple." Reggie had no idea what the ursine was talking about, and instead was excited to try the sweet smelling dessert. That is until the Bear lit it on fire and then walked away. The panicked looked on both small mammal's muzzles spoke to how little either knew about the dessert. Eventually the fire burned out, and the two were left with a dessert that tasted surprisingly like marshmallows.

"Brrr," shivered Sheri, "It's chilly tonight." She stopped and rubbed her arms vigorously.

Reggie frowned. The Rainforest District was rarely chilly, and what cold there could be was normally stomped out by the humidity. So for the raccoon to be shivering was normally a sign of illness. The officer moved closer to the barista, the back of his paw going to her forehead. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Oh...yes!" hesitated Sheri, increasing the mustela's worry, "Just feeling a little chill." She grabbed the Weasel's arm, "Maybe just keep me close, and I'll warm up."

There was something in the way she said it that tickled the back of Reggie's mind. Like this was a basic idea that he had learned a long time ago and simply didn't need it till now. The young mammal brushed the feeling aside and timidly moved his arm to wrap around the procyon.

As if the action flipped a switch, Sheri nestled into the Weasel's side and let out a contented sigh. "Much better."

Reggie was baffled, his arm not seeming like warm enough for the raccoon, but he didn't say anything else as they continued to walk back the Sheri's place. The walk from the second level to the first level was relaxing at first. The wooden steps with rope railings looked decrepit, but the mustela knew that many of them were sturdy enough. Even still he put his free paw on Sheri's arm and held her tighter as they began their journey downward. The warmth coming from the raccoon was distracting, and on a few steps Reggie felt his hind paws slip a bit.

Sheri giggled and put an arm around the thin midsection of the Weasel, "How about we help each other." Slowly, the pair descended. It was over too quickly for Reggie.

Finally they reached the first level of the Rainforest and Reggie's old instincts pushed him to be on alert. True it had been many years since he wandered the Rainforest District at night, but some things didn't change. There was no question that crime was more prevelant on the ground level, but that didn't make every level above it safer. Deep enough shadows could hide even the largest of mammals. It's this reason alone that should have had the Weasel completely focused, but his company kept distracting him from his watch.

Reggie had noticed that Sheri's arm didn't leave when they leveled out, and of course his arm still remained wrapped around her for warmth. Still the raccoon's free paw would find his midsection as well, or she would nuzzle gently into his shoulder. The faintest of touches from the procyon seemed to light his skin on fire. So much so that he flinched when she rested her head against his shoulder. Sheri gazed at him, her brown eyes trying to convey an emotion that was flying over the Weasel's head. Reggie felt her arm move from his back up to his shoulder, a paw coming to rest on the opposite shoulder where her head still was. His eyes remained on hers, locked and unblinking.

The gravity of their positioning finally sank in for Reggie. Her muzzle so close, only inches away from his. He felt her breath tickle his whiskers. The Weasel wanted to move, to press his lips to hers. The young mammal's vision shifted and focused on her slightly agape mouth.

 _"They look so soft,"_ contemplated the mustela, _"I wonder if-"_

"Well what do we got's here!"

 _"Oh Rutt me..."_

The voice that spoke came from behind the embracing pair. Reggie pushed Sheri behind him as he braced himself to confront the obvious trouble. It was a least Weasel and a Jackal. The other mustela smaller than Reggie, wearing a pair of uncomfortable looking tight jeans and a white beater. The Jackal with a pale creamy fur colored with the intermixing of brown mixed throughout was the hesitant of the two. His baggy shorts and loose fitting t-shirt seemed more fitting for Sahara Square than the Rainforest District.

The least Weasel sauntered closer to Reggie and Sheri, a flash of metal catching the officer's eye as the thug stepped closer and closer. "We got's ourselves some **Freaks** here Dusty!"

"I dunno Frankie," replied the Jackal nervously, "they're a cute couple to me." The candid yelped in surprise as his partner smacked him hard in the arm.

"You idiot! Don't goes givin' compliments to mammals we muggin'!"

"Sorry Frankie!"

Two things changed how Reggie saw the situation. One was the officer got a better glimpse of the metal shine in the other Weasel's paw. It was a butterfly knife. Normally even the presence of a knife wouldn't worry the young mammal as it wasn't his first time dealing with them. The second change for Reggie was he felt Sheri tense up in his hold and gasp. She had seen the knife as well. Unwilling to risk the raccoon's safety, the Weasel was willing to play it safe and give the obviously incompent thugs his wallet and phone. The phone was an older model and he could cancel the credit card after filing a report. He moved slowly, reaching his paw behind him to pull out the wallet. The movement caught the thugs attention.

"Hey!" started the leader of the duo, Frankie, "Whatya doing?!" With practiced ease the thug flipped and oriented the butterfly knife open, its blade shining in the street lights and pointed at Reggie.

"I'm getting my wallet," replied Reggie calmly, pulling the item out slowly to reveal it to the jumpy mammals. He brought it in front of him and tossed it lightly to the two robbers. He also moved slowly and pulled his phone out of his front pocket and gently placed on the ground in front of him. The Weasel then protectively put an arm between Sheri and the two and stepped backwards. "This is all I have. Take it and leave us alone... _please_."

The Jackal quickly grabbed the wallet and phone before coming back to the armed Weasel's side. He pilfered through the wallet, taking what little cash and cards Reggie had. "We got it Frankie! Let's get going!"

"Wait!" commanded Frankie. His knife slowly trailed off Reggie towards Sheri, "I see a purse."

Reggie could hear Sheri hyperventilate. He reached out to grab her paw, but found her arm instead. "Take my stuff and go. Let's not make this worse than it has to be." warned Reggie. His fur began to stand on end as his tail bounced up and down. The officer bit down the growing need to bare his teeth and simply glared at the Weasel in charge.

Frankie's head bobbed back and forth, seeming to contemplate Reggie's words, before sneering. "Nah, I don't think so...GET IT DUSTY!" He lunged forward with knife in his right paw at the younger Weasel.

Reggie calmly turned his right shoulder out, letting the blade pass between him and Sheri, before grabbing the wrist of the robber. He twisted down on the wrist and grabbed the thug's right shoulder with his left paw. The officer slammed the other Weasel into the ground, Frankie's muzzle bouncing off the ground with a surprised cry. The last time Reggie had a mammal in a similar position, he had decided to not dislocate Wilde's shoulder. He would not make that same mistake twice.

"Should have taken the money," hissed the irate young officer. He replaced his left paw with a hind paw, keeping the thug's arm up in the air. Reggie grabbed the offending arm with both paws and pressed forward, grinding his hind paw into the muggrr's shoulder as the criminal cried out in pain and tried to squirm away. A loud crack echoed in the Rainforest. The panting officer let go of Frankie's arm. It fell limp next to the now crying would-be robber. A scream broke the Weasel's concentration from the "disarmed" mammal. His eyes went wide. The Jackal. Reggie's gaze shot upward, a cry on his lips that died in his throat.

The Jackal, Dusty was curled up on the ground with his paws covering his eyes. He was whining and whimpering.

Standing over the downed candid, like an enraged valkryie, was Sheri armed with her umbrella and a small container. The contents of her purse were scattered about on the ground, and the thin strap was snapped in half. Still it was obvious to the stunned Weasel who had gotten the better in that fight.

The angry raccoon smacked the downed Jackal on the head, "You ripped **_MY_** dress! It was brand new!?" She then brought the container closer to the thug and it squirted a clear liquid into the candid's paws. The robber reacted instantly and tried to roll away, only to be met with more whacks of Sheri's umbrella.

The smell of pepper spray burned Reggie's nose as it became apparent why the Jackal was in so much pain. The Weasel's nose was nowhere near as sensitive as the mugger's, but the officer was pepper sprayed in the Academy and knew how much it hurt. He raised a trepid paw, "Uh, Sheri..."

" **WHAT!?** " shouted the barista as she turned to the offending voice. She blinked. "Oh...Reggie..."

"I think he's...down," Reggie started softly. He stepped towards the armed raccoon and reached out an open paw. The officer saw the hesitation, and then regret flash in the barista's eyes. She pawed the umbrella over. "I was hoping for the pepper spray," commented the mustela, trying to lighten the mood, "But I'll take this too." Sheri giggled but held the spray closer. The sound of movement behind the Weasel caused Reggie to react. He crouched low and spun around, fur fully standing up. A growl escaped the mustela, only for it to cut short as Reggie saw who it was.

The other Weasel, Frankie, was struggling to get up. Before the thug could rise fully, Reggie was right behind him. The officer placed a heavy paw on the robber's uninjured shoulder. "We're waiting for the police," commanded Reggie, he squeezed and leaned his weight onto the other Weasel.

Frankie stopped.

* * *

Precinct Seven officers finally arrived, the patrol for the area all the way on the other side of the Rainforest. They had taken the two thugs into custody and were given statements by Reggie and Sheri. Eventually the raccoon gave the pepper spray to the uniformed officers for evidence. As the case was wrapping up, the pair had found a downed tree to sit on.

For Reggie this was status quo for his life. There were times when he was the robber, others when he was the robbed. He flexed his paws open and close as the stiffness once again returned. The Weasel was simply glad they didn't act up during the altercation, if it had it may have gone completely differently. A small paw with grey fur grabbed Reggie's, followed by another. Soon Sheri was gently massaging the back of his paw. The Weasel glanced up at the raccoon, but found her eyes fixed on his paw.

"I'm sorry," started Sheri, her voice thick with emotion, "I-I just froze...but when that Jackal grabbed me...I couldn't stop being so **angry**."

"Fight or flight," replied the Weasel calmly. He watched as the barista's digits smoothly kneaded his paw. The stiffness began to fade as relief seemed to flow through the tips of her digits. "We all have it in us, and a lot of don't fight." The Weasel placed his free paw gingerly over hers, trapping them between his own. "I'm glad your safe."

"Well my dress and purse are ruined," muttered the barista, "and you said you liked it."

Reggie smirked and looked at the raccoon, "I happen to like you more."

Sheri gazed back up at the mustela and smiled.

Out of the corner his eye, the Weasel saw one of the officers approach. It was a whiite tail Deer with large antlers and an open notepad in his hoof. The frown on his snout and eyes were focused on Reggie and Sheri's paws. The Weasel made no move to let go of the raccoon. "Those two are suspected of a string of armed robberies throughout the district." The cervid flipped the notepad clised, "Your story checks out."

The young officer felt the barista stiffen at the Buck's statement and squeezed her paws to silence the hard retort he knew was building. The Weasel smiled without showing any teeth, "Thank you officer for believing us. If you would like, you can send the paperwork to an Officer Weaselton at Precinct One." He smile grew into a grin, "I'm sure he would be more than happy to take care of it."

The Precinct Seven officer scoffed and shook his head, "You Weasel's always look out for one another..."

Reggie decided against reminding the obstinate Deer that he had just dislocated another Weasel's shoulder and simply continued to smile. He didn't want to have to deal with the headache of a Precinct Seven officer arresting a Precinct One officer.

"Alright," the Buck finally said, "You're free to go, but stay out of trouble!" The warning was accompanied by a serious wave of his hoof before turning away from the pair.

Before the raccoon could give the Buck a well deserved piece of her mind, Reggie pulled Sheri up to continue their walk to her apartment. Instead of being distracted by the barista, the Weasel felt he couldn't focus on her. Not because he didn't want to, but the instinctual need to protect Sheri and get her someplace safe put the officer's head on a swivel. Every shadow was now thoroughly inspected by the mustela's poor night vision. Every rustle of vegetation had his fur standing on end. Unlike the stroll to the restuarant, this was as close to running as Reggie thought he'd do tonight.

In no time they were in front of Sheri's apartment building. While the strap of the purse had broken, the bag itself was still intact. The barista dug through her bag as Reggie kept scanning the abandoned street. He wouldn't allow another mammal to try and hurt the raccoon. There was the click of a lock being undone and the Weasel turned around. The apartment complex door was open and Sheri was looking at him apprehensively.

 _"Oh...that's right..."_

Somehow the Weasel hadn't put it together that when Sheri got back, the date was over. The tension in his body disappeared as his shoulders slumped. It was apparent to the Weasel that this was a failure of a first date. He sighed and stepped closer to the procyon. "I'm real sorry about this Sher," began the Weasel, his own disappointment seeping into his words, "this is **_not_** how I envisioned this night going..." He looked away and scratched the back of his head, "I would understand if you didn't want to do this again."

"Why?"

The question surprised Reggie. He looked back at the raccoon, but couldn't utter a single word. Even with her dress dirty and ripped, Sheri still looked stunning in it. Her fur was a little messier, but the brightness that shone in her eyes seemed even brighter.

"It was nice being with you," continued the procyon, "You opened up to me when I asked." She closed the distance between them and placed a paw on his chest, "Sure some mammals tried to spoil our night, but that happens sometimes." The barista giggled and patted the mustela, "This wasnt even my worst first date." Sheri frowned and looked away, "It was after _**that**_ one that I bought the pepper spray...never thought I'd use it..."

Reggie placed a paw over Sheri's and quirked a brow, "I just assumed you liked pepper spray." The raccoon chuckled and the mustela smiled as he tenderly squeezed her paw. He really didn't want this to end. Finally Sheri stopped chuckling, but her gaze went past the Weasel. Still on alert, the officer wrapped his arms around the procyon and turned his head to meet his new foe. There was no one. Reggie felt something as light as a feather touch his cheek. Slowly the mustela turned back to the raccoon eyed wide and brought a paw up to the spot on his cheek. Even in the low light and with his poor night vision, Reggie could see the blush in the procyon's ears.

Sheri gently pushed out of Reggie's hold and stepped several steps back. "Thanks for trying to protect me," she said, taking another step back, "Not many mammals would do that." Another step. "I _really_ did have a great time..." The barista stepped back one last time, her eyes never leaving the mustela's. "...and I want to do this again...soon..." The procyon grabbed the side of the door and smiled, "Goodnight...Reggie."

"Goodnight." Reggie said, barely above a whisper. The night didn't go anyway that he could have imagined it would have...except for the end. As Sheri closed the door, the Weasel couldn't help but give an frantic wave to the raccoon. The barista giggled and gave a small wave back before the door finally closed.


	43. Ride Along

**Hello Readers,**

 **Here's the next installment of A Weasel's Watch actually ahead of schedule. I'm going to try and use this extra time to finish another Officer's Watch chapter that has been in the works for awhile. Criticism always welcome and enjoy!**

 **-CG**

* * *

"Sooo...how'd the date go?"

Reggie glanced up from his computer screen long enough to see the Fox leaning past his and smirking. The date had been over a week ago, but the Weasel had been tight lipped about it to everyone. Apparently trusting Clawhauser with that juicy of a secret was too much for the feline. Every officer had their fun at the young officer's expense, but it stayed that way. All in good fun. The problem was that unlike his other co-workers, Wilde actually **knew** who Reggie went out with. The fact that he kept pestering the mustela this past week spoke to how little, if anything, Sheri had told the tod as well. "I'm still not going to tell you."

Wilde huffed in what should have been annoyance, but the smirk told the mustela how much fun the Fox was having at his expense. The tod's brow rose, "Must not have gone well..."

"Are your drinks sour?" shot back the Weasel. The bait was obvious, and it wasn't even the older officer's best attempt, still Reggie wasn't willing to give the tod any ground. The younger officer refocused back on his screen. He had been reading an article about a recent crime in Precinct Eight. A warehouse had been broken into in the Canal District, but nothing had been stolen. The crime nagged at the back of the Weasel's mind as if it should be common knowledge to him.

 _"Is it something Rick did...No dead bodies so no...Duke's stories...maybe..."_

"Whatcha looking at?" asked Wilde from behind the Weasel.

Reggie almost flew out of his seat. He hadn't noticed the Fox move at all! With a paw on his rapidly beating heart, and pushing down the need to murder the vulpine, the Weasel finally spoke. "Do you **_mind_**!?"

"No I don't," replied the Fox, whose eyes were still on the monitor. He pointed at the screen, "What is this?"

"Well you can read, can't you?" lashed out Reggie as he folded his arms with a huff. Wilde pushed Reggie and his chair out of the way as the Weasel glared at the Fox. He waited, tapping a claw on his arm, as the older officer scrolled through the online article. Eventually the Fox stepped back from the mustela's desk.

"I know this crime."

Reggie scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah so do I. We just read it."

"No," responded Wilde, his muzzle showing little emotion but his voice spilling with irritation, "I mean I know the crime that's its mirror." He frowned and a paw came up and scratched under his muzzle. "How long ago was it...four? No must have been five or six years cause I me and Finn were just working out the popsicle hustle...Ah Ha!" One of the tod's digit shot into the air victoriously. "It was the Duke con!"

Reggie's frowned, "I would have remembered if Duke did something like this."

Wilde chuckled and pulled Reggie's chair closer. He draped an arm around the irate Weasel and wiped away a fake tear as it became clear his mirth was insincere. "Not Duke, Duke. The _Duke_ con!" Reggie's muzzle remained blank. The Fox sighed and removed his arm, "Didn't Dutch teach you anything?"

"No."

"Huh," let out the surprised vulpine. His ear twitched and his smile returned, "Doesn't matter. What does matter is the Duke con is when a hustler spreads the word they have something valuable. Then after everyone believes them, the item disappears and the insurance company gets involved." The Fox leaned against Reggie's desk and folded his arms. "Insurance company gets flooded with letters from the mayor to their mother's claiming it was real, and then they pay out the items value to save face." Wilde shrugged as his smirk grew, "Easy as pie."

"Oh, that's the Earl con," Reggie realized.

A questioning brow rose on the vulpine, "I thought you said you didn't know it?"

Reggie waved a flippant paw, "Duke thought he could make me a hustler when I was a teenager." He shrugged, "I didn't have the tact for it."

An amused glint entered the Fox's eye, " _Duke_ tried to teach you? Not Duchess?" He then chuckled and quietly muttered, "She really does know talent."

"What was that?" questioned Reggie threateningly. He heard something about Duchess. _"If Wilde thinks he can bad mouth Dutch or Mare. I'll break his teeth on my desk..."_

Wilde, seeming to sense the danger, backed off the desk and put some distance between the two mammals. "I have no problem with Duchess. In fact," he tilted his paws upwards and smiled, "She's my number one mustelid."

Reggie was unconvinced but dropped the subject with a final glare. The Weasel turned back to the screen and began to read it once more. "This doesn't seem like the Earl con..."

"It's a variation," supplied the Fox, "Instead of showing everyone, you spread the word about something and then fake a break-in." Wilde rolled his paw in the air, "This one is normally done for not as expensive items."

"Such as?" asked the mustela.

Wilde grinned, "Glad to see you playing Q-Tip." The Weasel moved to protest, but was cut off by the vulpine. "In this case I'm assuming electronics." He grabbed the mouse and started to scroll down, mumbling under his breath. Finally he highlighted a section of the article, "Look here, unopened crates filled with blu-ray players. Not a lot of money if one is stolen, but if say a hundred are then it's a different story."

"Interesting," Reggie whispered as he imagined at least one crate completely empty of its contents. He shook his head, "But it doesn't matter since its a Precinct Eight case."

"Normally I'd agree," started Wilde, he turned to the young officer, "But I think you need a field trip."

"I don't know if you noticed," Grumbled Reggie, "But I'm stuck at my desk."

"Oh I noticed," The vulpine replied smoothly, shining his claws on his shirt, "but you need to get out and work those tiny legs."

It was his last week of desk duty, and the mustela was going crazy. He was browsing the news **_because_** he had finished his work, and apparently crime was hitting a lull so other officers were all caught up on their work as well. He could text Sheri once she was done work, but that wasn't for another two hours. The Weasel groaned as the idea of riding out to a crime scene was sounding better and better...even if it was with Wilde. "Alright fine, but" Reggie pointed a threatening digit at the older officer, "If I get it trouble because of you and kept on desk duty longer, _I...Will..._ ** _Hurt_** _...You..._ "

Wilde was unfazed by the threat and simply pushed the Weasel's claw away, "How about I take the fall for you if we get caught?"

Reggie frowned. If the Chief caught the young officer, then it could be another week riding the desk. Granted Wilde would get in trouble too, and he did say he would take the fall. Of course the Bull could put the vulpine officer on desk duty as well. The mustela may actually murder the Fox then...

"Clocks ticking Weaselton, are you in or out?"

The Weasel grimaced. He needed to do **_something_** , even if it was a pointless investigation. The mustela groaned but relented, "Fine Wilde, you win."

"Great!" exclaimed the Fox as he slapped his paws together, "We'll take a quick drive to the crime scene, quickly peek around and be back before Buffalo Butt knows your missing!" The older officer turned and walked away.

There was a moment of hesitation as wondered whether it was smart to follow Wilde a quick glance at his desk and the lack of any work convinced him. "What the rutt," muttered Reggie, "What's the worst that could happen?" The mustela slid out if his chair and jogged to catch up with the vulpine, "Hey Wilde, wait up!"

* * *

The duo drove in silence. Wilde behind the wheel kept his focus on the road, while Reggie's mind wandered to the past week. The Weasel and raccoon continued to see each other at Snarlbucks, and Sheri always made time for Reggie. Still because of the lack of structure of the barista's schedule, it was difficult to plan out their next date. The young officer wasn't too worried about having a time and place. The procyon had shown how much she wanted to date the mustela, and she could have easily told Reggie to stay away if she wasn't interested. Instead she seemed to crave what little time they had together as much as the young officer did. Texting really did help when both of them went to their respective homes.

The cruiser pulled up to the crime scene, tape sectioning off a large area around it. Reggie could see an officer standing just inside the tape. Precinct Eight wasn't considered the best Precinct. The lack of populous and much of the area being taken up by docks and storage led to assumption that any cop sent to the Canal District wasn't cut out for the rest of the city. The Weasel had little dealing in the district to confirm or deny that.

"Let me do the talking," muttered Wilde as he pulled the cruiser next to the crime scene, "They may not Precinct One stopping by."

The Fox moved to exit and Reggie followed. The young officer jumped out of the cruiser, his hind paws sinking into the wet ground beneath them, and walked towards the front of the vehicle. With an ease that he wasn't expecting, the mustela fell in lock step with the vulpine. No vest, no belt, not even a pair of pawcuffs on him, yet Reggie felt calm. It was like slipping on an old glove, it fit the Weasel perfectly.

The Precinct Eight officer, a soaked Rhino, stepped forward with a hoof raised to stop the duo. "Can I help you two?" The words may have suggested helping, but the tone spoke of how little the Megafauna wanted to even _**see**_ the Fox and Weasel.

"Officer Nick Wilde of Precinct One," responded the older officer smoothly as he pointed to his badge, "this is my partner Officer Weaselton. We heard about the break-in and were wondering if we could look around."

The Rhino huffed, "Precinct One officer's always sticking their noses where they don't belong." He glared at the two impassive officers, "And I don't see a reason to let you two through."

"Well," started Wilde, leaning in and whispering conspiratorially, "I have it in good faith that Chief Bogo wants this case closed efficiently, but by Precinct Eight." The Fox waved a paw, "I may have heard he wants Precinct Eight to gain all the credit and raise the standing of the district." The older officer leaned in even closer, the Rhino's interest obviously peeked, "There may or may not be even something special for the officer who breaks it wide open."

Reggie could see the gears in the larger mammal's mind turning. Everything that Wilde said was conjecture, pure and simple. It was filled with half truths and double talk. Of course the Chief wants the case closed efficiently; he wants every case closed that way. Just like he would want the respect of Precinct Eight to rise because it helps the Z.P.D. overall. Throw in a few "may's" and some hearsay and you have a hustler special. The eventual nod from the Rhino officer and lifting of the tape, though it wasn't necessary, had the Weasel keeping his gaze locked forward lest the Precinct Eight officer see him roll his eyes.

"I can't believe that worked," muttered Reggie, "you might as well have hustled rights to the moon from him with the way you were talking." The two mammals were walking side by side, the ground squishing with each step.

"I didn't _lie_ ," countered Wilde with a flippant paw wave and a smirk, "And if we find anything, I'll let him know." The building was a large structure with plain aluminum walls and a rusted aluminum roof. There were several small windows between the walls and the roof with one of them broken. The sun shone shattered glass underneath the broken window. The vulpine officer stopped in his tracks, a frown replacing his easy smirk. "That's not right..."

"What's not?" asked the Weasel. He looked at the scenery in front of him and didn't see anything wrong.

Wilde shook his head and the sly look reappeared on his muzzle, "Let's get in there before I say anything else."

Reggie glanced at the Fox, still confused but unwilling to push the subject. The vegetation around the building had grown to the Weasel's midsection as the ground started to firm from the roots of the plants. Eventually the pair reached solid ground, a seeming six foot radius around the warehouse, and walked to the front. The sliding door of the building was massive, made for larger mammals and up, that was the same ugly brown as the rusted roof. The young officer moved to enter the opened warehouse, but stopped when he noticed the older officer wasn't beside him. The mustela glanced around and found Wilde crouched next to the rusted gears of the door. "What now?" the irked Weasel questioned. The Fox seemed set on delaying.

The vulpine didn't acknowledge the mustela, but instead stood up and walked past the Weasel. Wilde's brow was furrowed in thought as he walked into the darkened interior. Reggie stayed close behind as the Fox slowly scanned the building. He approached the boxes underneath the broken window and looked up. "Weaselton Can you come here for a second?" asked Wilde with a flick of his paw, the older officer's gaze not leaving the window. "Why?" The older officer huffed in irritation, "Just trust me for three minutes."

Reggie rolled his eyes, but came to stand beside the Fox. "What is it Wilde?"

"Does this look right to you?"

The Weasel huffed and looked at the stack of boxes leading up to the window, "I don't see anything wrong."

"Stop thinking like a cop Q-Tip and _**Really**_ look."

"Well I can't think like a hustler, _Wilde_ , so how would you like me to think!?"

The vulpine's face went blank, "Think like..." A brow rose, followed by the other, and then a triumphant smile that turned into a smug smirk. "Think like an enforcer. You think your imagination can handle that? So ask yourself, what would an enforcer do?"

Reggie glared at the Fox but didn't respond. Instead he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the annoyance next to him and focus on what he would have done if he was still in the R.F.L. A plan came into focus as the Weasel went through the facts he had about the building. "The only way in is through the window," began the young officer, "Door is too big to open for me... means I would have needed at least a hook and rope...problem is getting anything out."

"Hold that thought," interrupted the vulpine, "focus on the step by step process for getting in here."

"Rope and hook. Hope it catches. Climb up the side to the window. Use a crowbar or pipe to break the window open. Step past the-" Reggie's eyes shot open in realization, "Step over the glass!" He looked at the boxes once more and _**Really**_ looked this time. He couldn't see any large shards of glass on any of the boxes. "There's no glass!"

"Incorrect!" corrected Wilde, "It's all outside."

Reggie looked at the older officer with a frown, "That's not possible if your breaking in..."

"...but is if your breaking out!" finished the Fox, a pleased grin on his muzzle, "Which means this isn't a break-in, but a break out."

"Fleas and Ticks," whispered the Weasel, "That's definitely not the Earl's con I've heard of." He turned back to the vulpine, "Wilde?"

The Fox in question was once again staring at the window, "Let's get up there." He gave the mustela a curious look, "I wanna see what our perp saw." With that Wilde started up the boxes, carefully testing the strength of each box before climbing it.

Reggie was hesitant at first, but the determination to not show weakness to the older officer pushed the mustela to climb behind Wilde. Eventually they made it to the top and were face to face with the busted window. It was small and it only came up to the mustela's shoulders, The Weasel noticed how the bottom of the window had been cleared of glass, but the top half still had large jagged chunks. "Lemme see something," murmured the young officer as he moved closer to the window. A larger paw gripped his shoulder.

"What are you doing cue?"

"You told me to think like an enforcer," started Reggie, "Well the enforcer in me wants to see something." The paw tentatively lifted off his shoulder and the Weasel stepped almost flush with the window. Sticking his tail parallel with the box and keeping his legs separated, Reggie crunched his midsection slowly. He kept his eyes trained in front and watched as the opening came more and more into view. The young officer breathed deeply and held it. He turned his muzzle towards his chest and brought his paws together overhead. As if about to dive through the hole, Reggie slowly let out the breath and pushed gently through the hole. In no time at all he felt the warmth of the sun on his paws and wind through his fur. He straightened out his muzzle and bent down to grasp the bottom outside of the window. With the same patience he had earlier, the mustela contracted his midsection and slowly pulled his body through the hole. He flattened his tail straight out between his legs to avoid the glass. Finally, when his body was completely out of the building, Reggie's body flopped down with a grunt.

"Oh rutt," muttered the Weasel, as he hung outside of the warehouse, "Should have thought this through..." Reggie at his peek physically could have pulled himself up, but the young officer was still to weak. "Umm," the Weasel cleared his throat, "Wilde...could you give me a paw?" He could hear the older officer chuckle and felt a larger paw on his.

"Another partner who doesn't think things through..." there was a grunt, and then Reggie felt himself being pulled back in. The Weasel eventually was on his back looking up at the smug vulpine. "So what did you learn today Weaselton?" Wilde asked in a mockingly happy tone.

"The perp probably wasn't a Weasel," replied Reggie, he groaned as he stood, "That drop would have been difficult, and they definitely would have cut their paws on the landing."

"Wow, you actually did figure something out," said an impressed Wilde. He examined the glass again, "I think we can rule out Fox too." The older officer bent to eye level with the opening, "Any Fox my size would get cut or at least have to open it more and the smaller breed would run into the same problem as you did."

"So...," started Reggie, "We're looking for a small mammal, who can jump far enough away from the building to not cut themselves and not heavy enough to leave a large indent." The young mammal rubbed the side of his head with a paw, "Is it bad that all I'm thinking is Rabbit?"

"I think fluff would be impressed by your forward thinking," commented Wilde with an amused smirk, "The fact that you think bunnies can be criminals goes against their stereotypes."

"I can't if your being serious, or are making a joke about Rabbits not being criminals."

The smile on Wilde's muzzle grew as he shrugged, "Why can't it be both?"

Reggie huffed, but smiled, "Alright then Wilde, what do we do with this conjecture? We going to track down leads? I don't smell Rabbit, but we may be able to find some evidence..."

The Fox's smile faded, "Not our case cue. We're going to have a look around, write out what we think and paw it over to that nice Rhino standing around. If he has half a brain he'll bring it up to whoever is investigating."

"And if he's not?"

Another shrug from the older officer, "You can't solve every case."

Reggie sighed as he gazed out the broken window. He could see the cruiser and the figure of the Precinct Eight officer. The two would have to leave, and once again the Weasel would be stuck behind a desk. It was a...nice...experience with Wilde that at least showed the young officer that if nothing else the older officer was serious on the job. Eventually, given more time, the mustela may even be able to consider the vulpine an acquaintance. For now though, old habits die hard and old grudges harder. He sighed and rubbed the back of his, "I guess your right..."

* * *

The drive back was filled with more conversation, but it was completely case related. Still the Weasel couldn't help but be impressed by the Fox. In theory it made sense that Wilde would have an understanding of criminal behavior, but the extent that the vulpine analyzed different crimes led Reggie feeling completely unprepared. The older and younger officer's considered motive and means for the break out. They had spent some time afterwards checking for open crates, and had only found one small one that was empty of any contents. It was large enough to hold a small mammal comfortably. Everything else was still nailed shut. Eventually the officers headed out and did give the surprised Precinct Eight officer everything the duo had collected.

"Here's your stop," announced the Fox as he pulled in front of the building, "Precinct One in all its glory."

Reggie looked at the vulpine confused, "You're not coming?"

"Sorry cue. As much as I'd love to spend more time with you, I've got some stones I want to overturn." Wilde leaned in closer to the Weasel and whispered, "Going to have to dive deep into the seedy underworld."

"You're going drinking aren't you?" Reggie deadpanned.

"No," Wilde began with a flick of a claw, "But I can't promise my informants won't. Besides," the Fox placed a on the Weasel's shoulder and gave a knowing look, "The longer you're out, the sooner the Chief finds out. So go back to desk like a good little Weasel and Uncle Nick will bring you something sweet, ok?"

Reggie was about to retort, but another thought came to mind. "You are old enough to be my uncle..." The Weasel grinned wickedly and grabbed the handle, "How does an mammal of your age keep up with us young officers?" The mustela waved flippantly with his free paw, "Soon enough you'll need a walker to chase criminals." The idea of an old, gray Wilde chasing after pick pockets with a cane in one paw and his other on his hip caused Reggie to snort. He tried to suppress his mirth as he looked away from the vulpine.

"It's really not that funny..." said Wilde.

Reggie snickered.

"It's a terrible joke."

The Weasel bit down, desperately trying to hold his laughter in.

The Fox sighed and shook his head, "Just let it out already, or else you'll bust a gut.

That was all the young mammal needed as Reggie burst into laughter. He knew it wasn't that funny. He knew _he_ wasn't that funny either, but the tension that the young officer had been holding in needed a release. The mustela held his sides as they began to hurt and tears started to run down his cheeks. Eventually his laughter subsided down to an amused grin as the young officer wiped the tears away from his eyes.

"Are you finished?" questioned Wilde with a raised brow, "Or should I call you Hyenaton from now on?"

"First that's speciest," Reggie remarked his grin still in place, "Second I have no idea why I found that so funny...old mam..." The Weasel chuckled again.

"Enough," huffed the vulpine, "Just get going Q-Tip before you get us both in trouble."

The young mammal opened the door and was about to jump out, when he stopped. "Wilde," started the apprehensive Weasel, "...thanks for this..." He sighed, "It's been awhile since I felt like a cop."

"Get used to the feeling fast," quipped Wilde, "I prefer partner's not tripping over themselves."

Reggie didn't look at the older officer, instead he nodded and jumped out of the cruiser.

* * *

The young officer had been gone for over three hours with Wilde, but there was little paperwork on his desk when he arrived. It didn't seem the other officers were aware of his disappearance. The paperwork was finished easily and the mustela found himself in the same dilemma as before Wilde, staving off boredom. Thankfully Sheri was off work and Reggie was able to text her about her day. When five o'clock finally came, the Weasel rushed to the locker room. The uniform he wore may not have been getting dirty outside of lunch, but he wanted to get back into the habit of changing in the locker room. To his surprise, Clawhauser was loitering around his locker.

"You're not usually still here?" Reggie remarked. He couldn't help but notice how nervous the feline appeared. It wasn't that the Weasel hadn't seen Clawhauser like this before, the time before going undercover had seen to that, but the the Big Cat to be nervous and obviously waiting for the mustela was worrisome. "What's up?"

"Well did any of the officers..." the Cheetah rolled a paw, "...have problems with your date?"

A brow rose on the Weasel, "Just the normal ball busting. Is it only a Wolf whistle if a Wolf does it? Because Wolfard gave me the Wolfest of whisles, but I don't know if it counts as a 'Wolf whistle' per se..."

"You know I've wondered that myself. I mean do that mean there's a Gazelle whistle? Lion whistle? Maybe even-" Clawhauser shook his head violently, his paws waving frantically before coming to his head, "I'm getting off topic. Reggie," the feline clasped the mustela on the shoulders, leaned in close and whispered, "Did anyone give you a hard time about... _who_ you dated?"

The young officer frowned, "I mean everyone assumed it was a Weasel and I didn't bother correcting them." Reggie's gaze narrowed on the rotund feline, "Why?"

"Oh well," started Clawhauser, hunching his shoulders and wringing his paws, "I just talked to my friend Bruno, the maitre'd at Summer's Heat, and he mentioned that your date was...well a raccoon."

"And?" Reggie replied tersely. He didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"And, well...I also read the report you filled out for Precinct Seven. The attempted mugging and how you and a raccoon stopped them. I was worried that..." the feline hesitated, apprehension and worry were clear on his face, "...certain mammals may have heard about your date."

"No, everyone's been civil enough," the young officer said with a shrug. The only annoyance was Wilde, but the Fox already knew it was Sheri. The vulpine's relationship with Hopps also significantly reduced the chances of him being bigoted against Interspecies Relationships.

"Oh good!" Clawhauser sighed in relief, wiping his brow with the back of his paw, "I felt just _terrible_ after talking with Bruno and thinking I may have outed you." A predatory glint appeared in the Cheetah's eye, "So who is it?"

"Clawhauser," began Reggie as he pinched the bridge of his muzzle, "You were just worried that you may have outed me after blabbing to the entire Precinct and now you want to know the name of my date?"

"Pleeeaasssseee," begged the Big Cat, "I promise I won't tell anyone!" Clawhauser's eyes went wide and his bottom lip shivered.

Reggie cringed as he was hit with a full blast of the feline's 'Sad face.' It had been many months since the Weasel had seen Clawhauser's secret weapon, and whatever resistance he had crumbled to the pouty look of the rotund Cheetah. The mustela groaned and rolled his eyes, "Fine I'll tell you."

"Yay!" exclaimed the happy feline, "Oh! You have to tell me **Everything**!" Clawhauser raised a warning digit, "Don't leave anything out, ok!"

The Weasel sighed in defeat, "Ok."

* * *

"...and then we said goodnight and I went home." Reggie brought his drink up and sipped quietly from the still warm beverage, watching the mammal across from him.

Cherry had been listening intently; hanging onto the Weasel's every word. Her head was in her paws with her elbows on the table. She had a starry eyed expression and was smiling softly. "That's so adorable," she murmured. The vixen shook her head and straightened up. She grabbed her untouched drink and smirked, "I'm surprised ex. I didn't think you had it in you to show a gal a good time."

Reggie huffed, "I'm not _**that**_ bad...besides...I may have had help." He mumbled the last part into the lid of his drink. The mustela was on his day off and had called the vixen to see if she was available to talk. His discussion with Clawhauser put doubt into the young mammal's mind and he needed to talk to a mammal that had an outside view of his situation and whose opinion he trusted. Normally he would talk to Mary, but the young mammal hadn't broken it to the rest of the Weaselton's what Sheri was. The former working girl had agreed to meet, and they chose the same cafe as last time.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that," asked the vixen as she turned her head and perked an ear, "I thought I heard you say that you had...help."

The Weasel looked away embarrassed, "A co-worker may have picked the restaurant and my sister may have helped with my wardrobe." He glanced at the smiling female before looking away, "...no big deal."

"Ex," started Cherry in a serious tone, "did you have someone plan out your date for you..."

"Uh, well...you see-"

"...and didn't ask me?"

Reggie blinked, "Uh, what?"

"Come on!" the female groaned loudly, rolling her head on her shoulders, "You have a platoon of experienced girls behind you, and you don't ask their opinion on what to do for a date?" She huffed and folded her arms, her ears folding with them. "I'm actually kind of hurt you didn't ask." The vixen sniffed and wiped a digit under her eye.

The young officer's embarrassment turned to shame as he looked at the downtrodden female. "I'm sorry Cher. Next time I'll..." he noticed a twitch in her lips, "...I'll..." The Fox's ears started to rise as the mask of hurt started to crack. "I'll not believe a word you say," groaned the mustela, "You had me going!"

Cherry burst out in laughter, "I almost had you!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," grumbled the young mammal. He looked down at his drink and waited for the vixen to calm down. "I didn't just call you to catch up." Reggie heard Cherry sigh, "I know." The mustela shifted in his seat as he considered his words carefully. "I...was talking to a co-worker who had found out about Sheri not being a Weasel."

"Did they give you a hard time about it?" asked the vixen with sharp tone.

Reggie shook his head and hunched his shoulders, "He was supportive of it...but..."

"But?"

The Weasel gazed directly at the Fox, "It made wonder what others would do if they found out. What would happen to Sheri if mammals..." A silence fell over the table as dread built in the small mammal. His worst fear was Sheri dying. In a short amount of time she had become an important part, and yet the past reminded Reggie that mammals who he loved didn't last. The Weasel shuttered and closed his eyes as the thought of the mugging going differently fluttered to mind. It was possible that the young officer could not have disarmed the mugger. The knife not falling to the ground, but finding a home in the raccoon instead. _"That could have gone so much worse. Why did I risk it!? Oh Rutt what's wrong with me!? If Sheri had died...I don't know wha-"_ Reggie's thoughts were interrupted by a larger paw on his forearm.

"Reggie," started Cherry softly, "Just listen to my voice, can you do that?" The Weasel nodded with his eyes still pinched close. "Ok good. I need you to breathe in deeply and then let it out. Ok? Let's try it. In," the mustela breathed in slowly. "Out." He pushed out a shaky breath. "Good, now let's do this a little longer."

So Reggie followed the vixen's instructions, each breath calming the young mammal down further and further until eventually he opened his eyes to look at the female. There was no joke ready at Reggie's expense, or some sly remark just waiting to be released. Instead the mustela saw was a worried expression that showed just how much Cherry cared about his well-being. "Sorry," Reggie croaked, "I...don't know what came over me."

"More than likely those negative thoughts in that Weaselly head of yours got the best of you," offered Cherry with a gentle smile, "You're not the first mammal I've had to calm down, though I'm glad that this one ended better than other times." She let go of the Weasel's arm, but her expression didn't change, "So what were you thinking about?"

"Cher, you don't have too-" The young mammal was cut off by a raised paw from the vixen.

"Ex, something is bothering you and we are going to get to the root of it!"

The determination in the Fox impressed the Weasel. It was easy for Reggie to forget that while Rameo was the brawn, it was Cherry who looked after the girls. The vixen could be a force to reckon with as her intelligence, street smarts and willingness to use her natural beauty would spell defeat for most males and several females. Reggie sighed, but smiled a small smile, "If it counts I think I know what the root is."

The vixen leaned forward, her gaze unwavering from the Weasel, "Go on."

"I'm afraid of her dying," admitted Reggie's quietly, "Just like Crystal."

"Who's Crystal?" asked Cherry tentatively, her tone matching the mustela's.

"She was a ferret, who died in my arms." The Weasel muttered. He held onto his cup for dear life. "I still think it's my fault she's dead."

"Does anyone else think so?"

Reggie shook his head, "No, and I'm a witness for the case...but sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Crystal didn't meet me. Or if I wasn't in the gang, or was stronger, or if I wasn't a," Reggie gestured up and down his body, "A Weasel...maybe she would have lived."

There was silence once more between the two mammals, but it didn't last as Cherry cleared her throat. "Your date...Sheri?" Reggie nodded in confirmation. "...Sheri, is a raccoon, right?" He nodded again. "So, she's not a Weasel, and I'm assuming she knows you're a Weasel correct?" The young mammal scoffed and simply looked at the vixen. "I'll take that as a yes. So that means that Sheri, the raccoon, willingly and knowingly accepted to go to dinner with you, a Weasel. She then ended the night by giving you what I can only assume was the cutest kiss possible, and oh by the way pepper sprayed a would-be Jackal mugger some time after dinner, does that sound correct?"

"It sounds so simple when you say it like that," Reggie huffed.

Cherry smiled, "I think it is that simple. You're trying to save someone who doesn't need saving from threats that aren't even real. Sorry to tell you ex, but that's pretty irrational."

"So what if it is?" snapped the Weasel, "We both know what this city can do to mammals who let their guards down. Sheri's such a sweet girl. I don't want anything bad to happen to her!"

"Last time I check, raccoons are liked in this city just as much as Weasels and Foxes. She's probably already had bad stuff happen to her, and will probably have more stuff happen to her too. It doesn't sound like she carried pepper spray for fun."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" grumbled the mustela as he grew more and more frustrated. "I can't just do nothing."

Cherry chuckled dryly and leaned back in her chair, "The cynic in mean says to never fall in love. You'll only get hurt." The vixen fixed her blue eyes on Reggie, "But the romantic in me says you should be there for her when things do go wrong. We all need support." She smiled sadly, "I know you ex. You're a caring mammal. Just show this girl how much she means to you, and no matter what happens you two will be fine." Cherry reached over and gently squeezed a paw of the Weasel's.

"Thank you Cherry," started Reggie, his throat thick with emotion, "I really needed to hear that."

"Anytime ex. Just let me know if you ever need to talk to Doctor Cherry!"

Reggie snorted, "Your definitely not licensed." He picked up his cup to finish the last of his now cold beverage.

"True, but I do have the scrubs." retorted the Fox flirtatiously. Reggie choked on his drink and Cherry laughed hysterically.

The antics of the vixen did remind the Weasel of another annoying Fox. "Actually," began Reggie through his coughing fit, "I could use your advice on another Fox."

"Another Fox?" Cherry questioned, a mischievous glint in her eye, "and who, pray tell, is this mysterious vulpine?"

Reggie grinned, "You haven't happened to hear of a Red Fox named Nick Wilde, have you?"

The vixen smirked and leaned into her chair, "As a matter of fact I have."


	44. Familial Secrets

Reggie wasn't completely thrilled with the advice Cherry had given him. Sure he trusted what the vixen had said, and even knew it was sound thinking, but that didn't make it harder to swallow. The young officer strode into RollCall with a purpose. It was the first time in over four months that the Weasel was present with his fellow officers. The ruckus of discussions and feats of strength echoed in the room. Several of his co-workers acknowledged the mustela with a wave or a nod. The two weeks of desk duty allowed for Reggie to once again become a staple of Precinct One, so there was no awkwardness for the young officer being present. That didn't mean that the small mammal didn't feel awkward for another reason.

The Weasel walked up the aisle, dodging some of the larger officers who didn't notice him under paw, when he reached his destination. Sitting in an overly large chair was a bored looking Red Fox officer. Wilde eyes were unfocused and glazed, a pair of large aviators hanging from his front pocket. Reggie cleared his throat and waited for the vulpine to turn.

Wilde blinked and let out a large yawn. He stretched and cracked his neck. His eyes landed on the mustela and blinked again. A smirk appeared with a half lidded look. "Well hello Q-Tip. You're looking rather bright eyed-"

Reggie raised a paw, stopping the older officer. He smoothed the front of his uniform and then stood at attention. "Officer Wilde," started the Weasel confidently, his gaze locked onto the Fox's, "I would like to state that you are a credit to the badge and an asset to the Precinct." The young officer watched the older officer's brow rise and noticed just how quiet his co-workers had become.

"Carrots said it better," replied Wilde. He leaned in his seat closer to the Weasel and whispered, "You're not as cute either." The young officer didn't respond. The corners of the Fox's mouth twitched, "Are you going to say anything?" Silence. The tod pursed his lips, an ear twitching to face the rest of the officers. The smirk morphed into an amused grin, and a mischievous glint entered the older officer's eye. "Public praise," murmured Wilde, "used to force my paw. I either accept what you're doing and you look all the better or reject it and lose all credibility." He chuckled and shook his head slightly, "Conning One oh One."

"It's not a con," corrected Reggie, still standing as tall as possible, "And if it makes you feel any better Cherry's the one who finally convinced me to do it." The Weasel bobbed his head back and forth, " I think Grizzoli suggested something like this my second day."

"So you do learn?" replied the Fox, "Just takes seven months for lessons to sink in."

"Still your move old mam," pressed the mustela, "What's it going to be?"

The vulpine's smile grew. He waved a paw between the two with a flourish and gave a slight bow. "Officer Weaselton, you are not only a superb asset to _all_ of the Z.P.D., but to Zootopia overall. Why if not for you, the entire city would have been plunged into _**chaos**_!" The vulpine struck a pose and threw an arm over his eyes, "Truly you are an inspiration to us _all_!" The Fox held the pose and a small smattering of applause. He stood up in his chair and bowed to his lackluster audience, "Thank you, thank you."

"Way to make me look like an ass," commented Reggie, his arms folded and glaring at the Fox.

Wilde turned back to the Weasel and sat on the edge of the chair. "I didn't do anything," he pointed a digit at the smaller mammal, "You did that by yourself Q-Tip!"

The mustela huffed, "Well this was a waste of time."

"Not entirely," responded the vulpine with a genuine smile, "It takes a lot of guts to apologize...even if it's a roundabout way." The Fox rolled his eyes and the smile turned back into a smirk. "Of course I meant what I said as well."

"Of course," snipped the Weasel sarcastically, "Because you _always_ tell the truth."

Wilde shrugged, "Half truth, whole lies."

Reggie sighed and shook his head, "Alright, well I'm going to go sit somewhere else. Apology or not, I can't handle this level of smugness."

They older officer chuckled, "I appreciate that. Your crotchety attitude would ruin my debonair swagger."

"Whatever," grumbled the Weasel as he turned from the vulpine, "See you around Wilde."

"Not if I see you first, Weaselton."

* * *

As the Chief had told Reggie his first day back, the Weasel was assigned parking duty. Normally the assignment felt like a punishment to the young officer, but simply being out in uniform as a Z.P.D. officer was worth the bowler hat and reflective vest. The day had been easy, and Reggie made it to one hundred tickets before lunch. He was still hampered physically, but the therapy and his own growing personal routine allowed him to work without too much stress on his body. The large mammal and Megafauna cars were challenging, but Reggie was in too good of a mood to be stopped.

Another great aspect of parking duty was that it kept him in Savannah Central. It would be easier to get back to the Precinct, but more importantly it allowed the Weasel the possibility of stopping to see Sheri while she worked. Of course it was just by chance that Reggie happened to have ticketed his final car before his lunch break a block away from Snarlbucks. There's _no way_ he could have planned his route that way.

The young officer strolled into the cafe sans bowler cap and vest, but a cylindrical bulge in his left pocket. Fate seemed on his side as the line of mammals was shorter than usual for lunch. Reggie waited patiently, rocking back and forth on his hind paws and glancing about the store. Many of the customers left as quickly as possible, all looking quite business professional and looking for something quick. The few who stayed had laptops with them and appeared to be working as they ate. Finally Reggie made it to the front of the line.

An exhausted looking Gazelle wearing a stained apron and a nametag that read "Karl" was standing behind the register. "What can I get for you today?" asked the tired herbivore.

"I'll have a large 'Dirty Chai' with one of those large cinnamon rolls," replied the Weasel. Reggie knew that a sweet drink with a sweet pastry wasn't the healthiest combination, but the young officer felt like celebrating. The barista rang up the order and the mustela pawed over the money. He tried to look behind the counter for his favorite raccoon, but found the space missing Sheri. "Is, uh, Sheri here today?" He asked hesitantly. They had been texting yesterday and she was working that day, but he hadn't heard anything since.

The herbivore's brow rose, "Who wants to know?"

"Just a friend," answered Reggie quickly.

"I hope we're more than friends," said a voice from behind, "otherwise what I'm about to ask is going to be awkward."

The Weasel turned and found an amused raccoon standing behind him. Her tone suggested annoyance, but the amused look told the mustela she was joking. Reggie cringed, "If it counts, I said that because I wasn't sure what you've told your co-workers."

Sheri giggled, "I understand." She looked at the mammal behind the young officer, "Karl, this is Reggie. The _friend_ I told you about."

"Oh... ** _Oh_**...right, your _friend_."

The Weasel didn't like the tone from the herbivore and turned to face the mammal. He stuck a paw over the counter, "Reggie Weaselton."

The barista hesitated, before taking the offered "Karl Silves. I didn't expect you to be so..."

"So?" questioned Reggie with a raised brow.

"So thin!" Karl finished quickly, his nervousness on full display, "or so blue!"

"Alright Officer, that's enough interrogation," joked Sheri as she moved to Reggie's side, "Why don't you let this innocent mammal go with a warning and he'll get you what you paid for."

The mustela smiled a strained smile for the procyon before releasing the other mammal's hoof. Something about Karl set Reggie on edge. It could have been his nerves from openly revealing to another mammal Sheri and his relationship, but it felt like there was more to it. The raccoon nudged him with her hip and the young officer glanced at the small barista.

"Go sit down Regg," instructed Sheri, "I'll grab your order and join you, ok?"

The Weasel smiled, "Sounds good to me." He wandered towards an open table with a seat against the farthest from the entrance. Karl had put the mustela on edge and he wanted to see everyone coming in and out. In no time at all Sheri brought over a large drink and his cinnamon roll. Unlike the last time the Weasel had a pastry in front of the raccoon; Reggie slowly pulled apart the roll and ate it bit by bit. The pair sat in silence as the young officer became lost in his thoughts.

"So," started Sheri, breaking the quiet, "Is that a present in your pocket or are you just happy to see me."

The Weasel swallowed a piece of the roll and frowned. "Can't it be both?"

The raccoon cocked her head in confusion, and then chuckled with a shake of her head, "Of course it can be Regg."

The young officer reached into his pocket and pulled out the cylinder and placed it gently on the table between the two. It was an aluminum can with plastic cap and a small yellow nozzle and grooved button. There was no distinguishable symbol on it except for a yellow "Y." The Weasel shifted awkwardly in his seat. "It's, uh, pepper spray," he said hesitantly, "I figured you may want another one." What the mustela wasn't providing was that this pepper spray was one step below what the Z.P.D. uses. He had bugged Snarlov non-stop until the Brown Bear finally relented and gave Reggie the information he wanted.

"Normally males get me flowers," Sheri joked quietly, "Do you...do you think I'm in trouble?"

Reggie opened his muzzle, then bit it closed. His immediate response was to say no, that the world was perfect and there was nothing to fear. Problem was that Sheri had told him to tell the truth, and Cherry had told the mustela to start dealing with his dilemmas or she would stop talking to him. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "I'm not a raccoon...and your not a weasel..."

"That didn't bother you before," snipped Sheri as pain was obvious in her voice.

"Sheri, I don't care if you're raccoon, weasel or...or an elephant!" The mustela threw up his paws and his voice rose as panic began to make itself known, "What I do care about is your safety. I..." Reggie hesitated as he struggled to find the right words, "...I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. If nothing else just keep this on you. I hope you never have to use pepper spray again, but I'll feel better if you have it." The young officer reached out a paw towards the procyon, hoping that his expression and words conveyed how serious this was to him, "Please?"

Sheri reached out her paw to take Reggie's, but paused just before they touched. "I got that spray because of a bad date," the barista spoke just above a whisper, "and I think...I ** _know_** you would never try to hurt me."

"This isn't for me," Reggie assuaged as he shook his head, "This for other mammals like those muggers, or for those who won't be too happy about us dating." He sighed and smiled, "I know you don't have a problem with my species, and I can assure you that I have no problem with yours...but when you've seen some of the things I've seen, well it's better to be prepared."

The procyon huffed with a smile, "That makes too much sense." She placed her paw finally in Reggie's and ran a digit over the back of it. "I'll take it, but next time you better bring me flowers!" A threatening digit waved in Reggie's direction cemented the mustela's note to buy flowers. The barista smiled, "That does bring me to what I wanted to ask you?"

The young officer's brow rose, curiosity getting the better of him, "Oh? What's that?"

"Well..." Sheri drew out, rolling her head and eyes slowly, "I was thinking of asking you to come see a movie with me. Maybe even a dinner...but I don't know anymore."

Reggie's brow furrowed, "Why's that?"

A mischievous glint appeared in the raccoon's eyes as a sly smirk graced her muzzle, "Well I am _just_ a friend."

The mustela groaned and rolled his eyes, "I just said that cause I wasn't sure what you've told anyone yet."

"I know," replied the procyon, "but you don't have to worry about Karl. He's open minded."

"Really?" questioned the Weasel unconvinced, "he seemed a bit unsettled when you suggested our... ** _friendship_**..."

Sheri laughed and waved a paw, "Oh no, Karl's a party mammal and in college. He's definitely hungover, and some of the stories he's told me aren't always legal."

The Weasel hummed in thought, "So It's because I'm a cop..."

The smiling barista nodded, "He's probably worried you were about to arrest him or something stupid like that."

"Arrest the co-worker of my favorite mammal?" the young officer stated mock incredulously, "Never!"

Sheri giggled again. She stole a piece of the Weasel's cinnamon roll and popped it in her mouth. "So how bout it? Me, you, a bad action flick and a dark movie theater?

Reggie smirked and leaned forward, "Sounds like a date."

* * *

The day passed without incident and Reggie easily made it over two hundred tickets before quitting time. There was no waiting Cheetah or sarcastic Fox to slow the Weasel down, so the young officer was able to change peacefully and leave with no delays. When he made it back to the apartment, he found both Duke and Duchess already home. It wasn't uncommon for one of them to be home before the young officer, but both beating Reggie was rare. "How's it going Duke?" asked the younger Weasel to his uncle lying prone on the couch.

"Ain't too bad, ya know?" replied Duke, not looking away from the television, "Sold some stuff an didn't get arrested."

"Always good to hear. Especially since I don't have to bail you out." Duke snorted and waved a paw in Reggie's direction. The young male went to the kitchen were Duchess was hard at work. He saw his aunt with a large slab of what smelled like fish. He cautiously approached the older female, "What, uj, you working on Dutch?"

"Hmm?" Duchess looked over her shoulder, "Oh Reggie! I'm jus makin some fish." She leaned back closer to her nephew and whispered, "A secret Weaselton recipe."

"No it ain't," came the muffled reply of Duke, "Ain't no Weaselton eva make fish like dat."

"Quiet!" yelled the aunt, "An its aunty Marge's recipe, so's ya know it's good!"

Reggie heard his uncle mutter something incoherent and simply shook his head, "Mare going to be back for this supposed dinner?"

"Las I talkeds ta her, yeah." replied Duchess as she grabbed a thin knife. Using precision that Reggie was unaware that she possessed, his aunt removed the skin from the fillet. The bracelets she still wore jingled with each masterful slice.

"I didn't know you could do that?" Reggie said, still watching Duchess prepare the fish.

The female Weasel shrugged with an innocent smile, "Ya pick up dings."

Where his aunt picked up how to prepare Reggie had no idea. Still unlike meals past, this one actually looked...edible. "Where'd you get the fish from?"

"Yeah Dutch, where ya get it from?" Duke parroted, his tone suggesting knowledge of the mysterious gift giver.

"Jus a friend," snapped Duchess at her brother. She turned back to her nephew and smiled, "Nuffin illegals. I wouldn'ts do dat to ya Regg."

The young officer was suspicious of this so called "friend," but he knew that if Duchess said it was legal than it was legal. If it wasn't legal then she would have danced around the subject, just like with her line of "work." Reggie sighed, "Alright, well as long as it really is legal than-" He was cut off by the front door opening and slamming shut. The young male turned to find his sister looking in a very foul mood. His police senses were setting off alarms about a possibly dangerous suspect and his brotherly knowledge told him to stay out of Mary's way. Duke's senses seemed to have been dulled.

"Whacha doin' dat fur!" cried out the older male. The glare sent his way by the obviously disgruntled nurse had the old con cringing away. "Nevas mind..."

Mary stomped past the rest of the family, not even sparing them a passing glance or word before heading down the hallway to her room. Another slam announced the young female's arrival at her destination.

"What was dat-" Duke started.

"Duke," interrupted Duchess, "Don't do nuffin abou it. Ya know?"

The older mustela sighed, "I knows..."

Reggie was still staring down the hall, a frown on his face. Had there been times when Mary was mad? Yes, and normally it was at something boneheaded he had done. For her to be so...angry...and frustrated when coming back from work was something completely different. Sure she had bad days, everyone did, but she never slammed or stomped because of that. The brother was worried about what could have happened to her today. _"Maybe she'll cool down before dinner..."_

* * *

Mary had cooled down slightly, though it was better to describe the female as going from boiling to simmer. Whatever was still bothering the nurse, she hadn't said, instead remaining quiet as she picked at her food.

Reggie was honestly surprised to find the fish was prepared well and quite tasty. Apparently Duchess experimented with recipes too much because this was the best meal she had ever made and all it had been was salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil. The young officer had bitten down on another forkful of fish when he heard a heavy sigh come from the youngest Weasel. He glanced over cautiously, catching glimpses of Duke and Duchess doing the same. After her outburst the young male knew his aunt and uncle would stay quiet, at least to Mary. The two older Weasel's had been bickering nonstop between them, but the sigh quieted.

Reggie swallowed his bite and cleared his throat, "How was work Mary?" It was a dangerous subject to bring up, but the brother gambled that if he could get Mary talking she would feel better. The nurse didn't respond right away, her gaze locked on the table in front of her. The officer thought she wasn't going to speak, and was about to take another bite of his food, when the female spoke quietly.

"How did you do it?"

Reggie cocked his head in confusion, "How'd I do what?"

"Get over Rick."

The young male's heart started beating rapidly in his chest as he swallowed dryly. "Wh-what are you talking about Mare?" He tried to smile sincerely, but if Duke and Duchess were any indication he was failing miserably. _"Please don't say it, please, please, please-"_

The nurse stared blankly at her brother with only the slight hint of pain in her eyes. "I mean how you got over the abuse." Her paw tightened on the fork and her expression started to crack, revealing rage with the pain. "The abuse you tried to hide from me. _**Your sister**_!?" The female hissed out the last part as her anger finally broke through. Mary's fur began to stand on end as she snarled at Reggie. The nurse whipped her head around to stare daggers into their aunt and uncle. "That you **_covered up_**!?" She rose from her seat. " ** _Did you think I didn't notice_**!?" the youngest screamed, tears now running down her cheeks, "Why didn't..." She covered her muzzle with a paw and wrapped the other around her midsection. Mary sobbed once more, hiding her eyes behind a paw, "Why didn't you trust me?" Her voice was barely a whisper. Duchess stood and reached out to comfort the young female, but Mary shrank away from her aunt's touch. "I'll be in my room," mumbled the nurse, both her arms wrapped around her. She didn't look for confirmation and hurried off.

Reggie froze, his eyes locked on nothing in front of him as his mind spiraled. _"She knows!...How long?...Oh rutt me, she knows! I...What...Does she hate me?...I couldn't protect her...I can't protect anyone...I'm so weak. I need to-I don't know, but I_ ** _need_** _to do something!?"_ His vision was filled with brown fur and concerned, misty eyes staring at his.

"Reggie," spoke Duchess with a quiver in her voice, "Are ya dhere?" Reggie felt his aunt shake him gently. "I needs ya here right nows."

The officer blinked. He shook himself as if to wake up and then blinked again. "What happened?"

"Mary knows about Rick's," Duchess provided, "an I dhinks ya gotta be da one ta talk ta hers."

"I gots clean up," added Duke sullenly, "I dhink dinna's ova." The uncle smiled a deal smile, "It was good Dutch," he smirked, "Course it did's taste like ya tryna poisin me's"

"Hey!" the older female exclaimed, paws going to her hips, "I's gets us somefin good ta eats an ya tryna puts it down!" She huffed and folded her arms, "Maybe I ain't make nuffin for ya nows."

The older siblings continued their argument and Reggie tuned out their words. Just the fact that his aunt and uncle were bickering gave something for the young male to focus on, something normal and so mundane in his life that it allowed the officer to anchor his thoughts. Duchess was right of course, the only one that Mary would listen to was Reggie. The officer tried to focus on what his sister had said and deduct why she was so upset. _"She said something about trusting her...could it be that simple?"_ The mustela shook his head with a frown, it felt more than that. He sighed and his shoulders slumped. _"Only one way to find out…"_

The young officer stood up straight, pushing out his chest as he tried to gather his courage. Reggie marched with purpose the short distance to Mary's room. He raised his fist to knock, when he heard the muffled cry of his sister. All the confidence he had mustered dried up instantly and he laid his head softly against the door. Reggie didn't know what to say or do. Mary was the one who could comfort any mammal. He grasped the handle and turned it. The door was unlocked.

Reggie stepped into Mary's room. It was bigger than his, but not by much, able to fit a desk, three drawer dresser under the window and a bed. There was no space for a chair for the desk, so Mary had to sit on her bed as she worked. While the walls were the same brown as the rest of the apartment, the female had put up different posters on her walls. There was one from her teenage years of some Pop band Reggie only slightly recognized. Another one that looked like the color spectrum. Finally three different posters that showed the anatomical breakdown of different large, medium and small mammals. The female had her knees tucked into her chest and her arms around her legs as she stared at the wall in front of her. Reggie squeezed onto the twin bed and sat on the opposite corner. He sat quietly, hind paws hanging off the bed, as he waited for Mary to speak first.

"Is this where you deny everything," deadpanned Mary, wiping some of the moisture away from her eyes, "tell me I imagined it all."

"No," responded Reggie softly, "It sounds like you know everything."

"Not everything. I told you I've felt like something have been kept from me," the female Weasel turned and looked at the male with pleading eyes, "Please...tell me what is it?"

Reggie sighed and ran a paw over his throat. This wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation for either of the mammals. "Do you remember what dad did?"

Mary's brow furrowed, "Wasn't he like a sales mammal or something?"

The brother laughed, "No, nothing like that." He shifted uncomfortably, "He, uh, worked for the Rainforest mob." The silence coming from his sister led Reggie prattled on nervously, "Dad worked as an enforcer for Rayas family during a pretty bad time. Well, saying its pretty bad is like saying I'm only _slightly_ a weasel. He never got caught of course, and there are a lot of unsolved crimes that he committed. Mare when I mean a lot, I mean _a lo_ -"

"Reggie! Interrupted Mary, "That's quite enough!" She rubbed the side of her head, her eyes closed. "At least I get why you wanted to keep it from me…Did mom know?"

The male didn't have the answer to that and simply shrugged. When he noticed that the female still had her eyes closed, he quickly replied verbally, "I don't know."

The nurse sighed and leaned her head against the wall. "I definitely didn't expect _that_ ," the female muttered, "I don't really know what I expected though..."

"I'm sorry Mare," Reggie apologized, looking away from his sister, "I tried to protect you, but..." He trailed off as his own emotions started to bubble. One of the few thoughts that got Reggie through the worst nights were, _"At least Mary is safe"_ or _"Mary's protected."_ Having his sister know what Rick was doing felt like someone threw a hammer into his glass house. The officer closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall.

Reggie always had this lofty idea that he was a protector. He always did his best, but wasn't always successful. He protected Mary, but failed his mother. He failed Crystal, but protected Sheri. He failed to protect Grizzoli right away, but succeeded later. The Weasel had mixed results with Snarlov, Hopps and definitely with Beatrice. This idea though, was based on a lie, he hadn't protected Mary. Reggie had failed three times, if not more, to protect mammals. The badge shouldn't have been a shield for the mustela, but a swinging door. All he could do was hurt others. Isn't that what Rick wanted of Reggie anyway? His father just wanted his son to be just like him. Maybe that's what he should do, become just like Rick...

A paw grabbed Reggie's arm. The male opened his eyes and slowly turned towards the paw. Mary had grabbed him and was on her knees, eyes shimmering with tears. He was about to speak, to apologize again, but was stopped by his sister shaking her head.

"Regg you're a moron." The male blinked, he wasn't expecting that. "You were what, ten? Twelve? There's nothing you could have done." Mary wrapped her arms around Reggie and hugged her brother, her head just above his shoulder. "I didn't realize it at first...you just started getting bruises. Then your arm was broken, and then mom's bruises started becoming more visible. Eventually it became obvious the more Dad drank. I know you and mom sent me over to the Fangston's to keep me out of the house, but all I could think about what was happening to you two."

Reggie laid his chin on Mary's shoulder and hugged her back. "We did our best," murmured the male, "but sometimes Dad would get to crazy..."

The female hugged her brother tighter, "Neither one of you should have dealt with that! We could have...maybe..." Mary broke down, tears staining Reggie's shirt as she let it all out. Her brother simply held her, his own tears wetting her. Finally the nurse calmed down enough and gingerly released the officer. She looked at Reggie with red rimmed eyes. "Why did you go through it all?" she finally asked, "You didn't have too."

Reggie shrugged apologetically and smiled weakly, "You're my sister Mare. I would do it again for you."

The sister once again hugged her brother. "Of course you would," grumbled Mary, "You're always getting hurt and into trouble. Becoming a cop didn't change that at all!"

The officer chuckled and rubbed the nurse's back, "Not a bit."

The siblings stayed embraced for some time, both needing the comfort the other offered. Eventually Mary released Reggie from the hug and they both leaned against the wall. The young Weasels were exhausted, with the male wondering if the next day would be just as emotionally draining. A thought came to his mind, one that had the officer's brow furrowing and pursing his lips. "Why did this come out now? It's been years, why today?"

Mary shifted next to him and leaned against her brother. "A kit came in today with a sprained wrist. To anyone else it would seem like a normal kit injury, playing too hard and such...but I know she's been in three other times for similar injuries this year. She's a rat, so I'm usually called to treat her."

"Did you tell anyone?'

Mary nodded, "I told my superior, and even the guards on duty, but none of them did anything. All saying that there's no proof, but Reggie," the female pulled on the male's shoulder, "I could smell her fear! It was only when her mom was around, never the dad, but it was there Regg I know it was!"

"I believe you Mare," soothed Reggie, wrapping an arm around his sister, "But we need more than my sister's gut feeling. No matter how right it probably is." The officer ran his free paw from his throat to the tip of his muzzle, smoothing and fluffing his fur in the process. "I have some friends in Tundra Town-"

The nurse snorted, "You? Friends?"

"Quiet you," shot Reggie with a glare, "And yes I do have friends...of sorts. Anyway I think I can ask them to check out your rat. What's her name?

"Krysa Rotta. She's nine years old. I don't know where she lives though. Reggie," the male looked to the female with a raised brow, "She has that same look you used to have. Like there was no happiness in your world."

The officer fell silent as the nurse's words sank in. "Do I...," Reggie hesitated, "...still have that look?"

"No," replied Mary with a smile, "Since you've gone back to work, you've been smiling more."

The officer smiled, "I think that's because I'm dating." The male hesitated once more, torn between telling Mary about Sheri or not. It was becoming increasingly difficult to not tell his sister about the raccoon, and with everything else out in the open it may be best to say it now. Reggie cleared his throat and shifted, "I haven't told you about her have I?"

"Nope!" responded his sister, "but something tells me your about to now."

Reggie smiled with eyes unfocused as the memories of his time with the barista came to his forethoughts. "She's nice, definitely smarter than me. Makes me laugh and has ambitions that I want to see fulfilled. Right now she's a barista at Snarlbucks in Savannah Central, and..." The officer swallowed dryly as the moment of truth had arrived, "...she's a raccoon."

"Huh...Does she give you free drinks?" asked Mary nonchalantly.

"Uh, Mary...there was another piece of info in there...you know at the end..."

"You said she's a raccoon," his sister replied easily, "Cool, I guess. It doesn't matter to me what she is since she's the first female, let alone mammal, that you've shown any interest in." The female waved a flippant paw, "She could be an elephant for all I care, as long as you're happy."

Reggie burst out laughing, "I said the same thing to her today!"

Mary giggled, "Great minds think alike." The pair laughed once more, the final secret between the siblings out in the open. The sister settled down first and nudged her brother, "So what's her name? I can't just refer to her as your raccoon now can I?"

The brother shook his head with a smirk, "Her name is Sheri. She...means a lot to me."

"I can tell. Ever since your date you've been actually happy, which is a first in a long time." A silence stretched between the two Weasels. It was broken by another question from Mary. "When are you going to tell Duke and Dutch?"

Reggie blew out a heavy breath, "I don't know." He scratched the back of his head with his free paw, "I think...Duchess will be ok with Sheri, but I just don't know about Duke."

"I think he'll huff about another mouth to feed," replied the nurse, "but I don't think he'll care what Sheri is. Granted when you decide to bring her around just let me know and I'll make sure me and Duchess are present." She huffed, "Uncle Duke isn't going to ruin this for you. _**I'll**_ make sure of that!"

The officer chuckled and squeezed his sister, "Thanks Mare."

Two arms snaked around Reggie's midsection as Mary hugged her brother once more. "Anything for my favorite brother."


	45. Trial by Fire

Reggie's day had been going well enough. In fact his week had been quite relaxing. Sure he was still on Parking Duty and mammals of all sizes seemed to enjoy cursing the Weasel for their parking tickets, but the young officer let their words roll off of him. Reggie was just doing his job, and it was on the third day that he realized taking what irate civilians say personally helped no one. Of course he had been talking to Sheri about the subject, and the mustela had a sneaking suspicion that the procyon led him to that conclusion. It was no matter, for it was his final week of the Parking duty on his final day. All the young officer has to do was pass a physical and he would be back on the beat!

The mustela walked over to check a meter next to a medium sized mammal red sports car. He didn't know cars, but what the Weasel had figured out was the newer looking it was, the more the owners would curse. It was with a relieved sigh that Reggie saw the meter still had six minutes on it. He walked to the next meter, when out of the corner of his eye he saw a cruiser pull up. It wasn't uncommon for the Weasel to see his fellow officers pass by, some even stopping to chat. The mustela glanced up and groaned when he saw a red tod with an amused smirk. Reggie and Wilde were...better...but that didn't mean the Fox and him were friends either. The title of partner seemed to define their relationship well, generally professional and not hanging out after work.

The older officer rolled down his window and leaned an elbow out. With shades in place over his eyes, and annoyingly confident smirk on his muzzle, Wilde looked like he had just won the lottery. "Well if it isn't my third favorite mustelid. What's an adorable meter maid like you doing in a rough neighborhood like this?"

"Rough?" questioned Reggie as he looked around at the clean businesses and streets, "I don't see anything rough. Also for being your third favorite, you visit me a lot."

Wilde gave a half shrug, "Hazards of the job."

Reggie rolled his eyes, "Right...who's the second favorite?"

"Jealous?" the Fox playfully teased.

"Don't think they're real," the Weasel replied with a huff.

"If you're going to get all moody about it, then I'll tell you." The vulpine officer leaned out his sundown further, "It's the shifts leader, Anna at the Snarlbucks Sheri works at."

"A badger?" questioned the mustela, "They are Weasels."

"Ah," began the older officer, a digit raised to correct the younger officer, "I said mustelid, not Weasel."

Reggie snorted and rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms defensively, "So what do you want Wilde?"

"Well, since we're partners, I thought you'd want to know some info I just acquired." The tod nonchalantly examined his claws, "It may or may not have to deal with the warehouse break-in in Precinct Eight. You remember that right?" The Fox asked the question with a slightly cocked head and a smug smile.

"Forgetting already?" retorted the Weasel, "My you are getting up there in age."

Wilde grinned, "Alright, I walked into that one." He shifted his positioning and leaned back into the car, his gaze never leaving the younger officer. "I called in a favor from a friend who works in the company who delivered the boxes to the warehouse."

"How'd you know what company?"

"Oh Q-tip," chided the vulpine, "When your nice to mammals, they will be nice to you...that and the Precinct Eight Rhino was willing to give me some info after making him look good." He shrugged with a broad smile, "What can I say? Mammals like me."

"Ego aside for the moment," Reggie said, pinching the bridge of his muzzle, "What did your _friend_ say?"

"The crates were delivered to the wrong location," supplied Wilde, "They were actually meant for a warehouse in Sahara Square, but the delivery mammal messed up."

"That would explain why nothing happened," mused the Weasel, "So do you have the location? Who are you going to pass it on too?"

"One question at a time cue. One, I do have a location, and B I was thinking of holding onto that information. The only problem is that I'm riding solo today." Wilde bounced a digit on the side of his muzzle as he gave a contemplative look, "Now...who could I ask to help me in such a delicate matter...Wolford? No...Grizzoli? No...maybe Trunkaby...no...They're _so_ busy today. If only there was an officer who wasn't doing anything important who could that be...?"

Reggie sighed and ran a paw over his eyes. He would be lying if he didn't admit that the Weasel had thought about that case every now and then. It hasn't sat well with him, and by the sound of it not right with Wilde either. The problem was if the Chief found out the mustela decided to go with the vulpine on this little adventure, he could find himself on Parking Duty for another month. It may have been ok so far, but another month of this was too much for Reggie. He grimaced, "Wilde, as much as I _actually_ would like to go with you and find out what's going on I'd rather not risk another bout of parking duty."

"You haven't had lunch yet right?" asked the Fox with a furrowed brow. Reggie shook his head and Wilde's smile doubled. "Well there we go! We'll use that hour, maybe a little extra, and have you back and giving tickets faster than you can say 'Nick is a genius.'" He snapped his digits, "I've got a boot in the back too. We throw it on the meter mobile, and presto! You don't to drive it around."

"Boot it?" questioned the Weasel with a raised brow.

Wilde shrugged, "I've seen a stroller get booted, and that thing didn't move for days! An hour or two won't hurt."

The young officer hesitated, it sounded easy enough. Just like last time he could go there and come back, and no one would be the wiser. He gritted his teeth and let out a tense sigh, "Alright Wilde, you win."

"This isn't a game Q-Tip," responded the Fox seriously, his entire attitude changing, " I don't like the smell of this case and I want someone to back me up." He smirked and the playful twinkle was back in his eyes, "If that means it's a broken Weasel, well it's better than nothing!"

"I'll show you how broken I am," grumbled Reggie defiantly, "Get that boot out and let's get started already."

Wilde's smirk grew.

* * *

The drive to Sahara Square was quick as Reggie had been close to the border in Savannah Central. He had texted Sheri just to let her know that he wouldn't be stopping by for lunch. They were supposed to cement the next date, but the Weasel was confident that a phone call tonight would be able to take care of that. As suggested by the older officer, the younger booted his smaller vehicle. Reggie also decided to lock up the vest and bowler cap in the glove compartment.

Once again the young officer found himself locked in a cruiser with Wilde, but this time there was no tension between them. Sure they squabbled and sent sharp barbs each other's way, but there was no malice behind their words. If anything it was starting to feel normal the banter that the older and younger officer had, almost like they were partners.

"All I'm saying is if you had taken my advice, you wouldn't have gotten mugged," Wilde continued, aviator shades in place to protect his eyes from the desert sun, "And then bam! Perfect date."

"First off it was an attempted mugging," Reggie corrected with a raised digit, "Second, it was an amazing date that ended the only way I wanted it too."

"With you chickening out and Sheri wearing the proverbial pants in the relationship," the Fox retorted.

"I was going to say with a kiss, but your way sounds **_so_** much better," the Weasel replied sarcastically. He had been ambushed by the tod with the older officer referencing Reggie and Sheri's date. Obviously the older officer had been pestering both the raccoon and Weasel, and it was the procyon who broke first. The Weasel huffed and looked out the window. He was torn on how he felt about Wilde knowing details about his personal life. On the one paw, the Weasel was a private mammal who preferred if everyone kept their collective noses out of his business. On the other paw, it was Sheri's right to say what she wanted too and Reggie didn't want to control the barista. He would have to talk to her about this.

"Awfully quiet cue," remarked the driving vulpine, "What's got your talkative self thinking so hard smokes coming out of your ears?"

Reggie rubbed the side of his head, "Nothing Wilde...we almost there?" He turned towards the tod and saw Wilde nod.

"Impressive timing Weaselton, we're here."

The mustela saw the warehouse, smaller than the last one and definitely much drier. The walls were concrete and there was no visible sliding door. The roof was an unpainted aluminum that shone brightly under the sun. He opened the cruiser door and hopped out of the vehicle. Immediately the young officer was hit with the onslaught of heat that was Sahara Square. He pulled at the collar of his uniform, cursing the Kevlar underneath it. The Weasel heard steps in the soft sand and heard Wilde groan.

"I can never get used to the heat," grumbled the Fox, "Or the brightness for that matter." Wilde started to walk ahead of Reggie, "Come on cue, let's see what we got."

"So, what's the plan?" asked Reggie.

"Same as last time. We check the place out, see what we can see and then tell Precinct Two. This isn't supposed to be a real investigation. Door shouldn't be locked, but we'll see."

The Weasel glanced around, a paw covering his eyes to cut down the glare, and frowned. They were surrounded by other warehouses, similar in size and color. The place seemed familiar to the Weasel, but he couldn't put his claw on why. "Hey Wilde," started the young officer as he followed the vulpine, "What street is this?"

"Cactus lane," replied the older officer without stopping.

"Isn't that..."

"Yeah...but Himil's stuff I believe is down that way," the Fox pointed to the left. He frowned and looked right, "Or is it that way?" Wilde shrugged with palms up, "Doesn't matter. This building is owned by a paper company called Koalacap that uses it for overflow. If a mistake is made and a branch gets too much paper, they just drop it off here. If it has too little, than they pick it up and etcetera, etcetera." Wilde finished his statement with a roll of his paw.

"You know all this because...?"

The Fox glanced at the Weasel, a sly smirk on the tod's muzzle with eyes hidden by the aviator's as he grabbed the handle to the warehouse door. "Because Q-Tip...I know everyone." He pulled on the handle, but the door didn't budge. The vulpine tried again, still the door didn't move. The smirk faded and the inside of the Fox's ears tinted red, "Appears to be locked."

Reggie walked up to the door, grasped the handle and pushed. The door opened effortlessly. The Weasel turned and gave a blank stare to the Fox who was looking away with arms crossed and lips pursed. "I guess it's unlocked," commented the Weasel, a sly grin of his own present.

The Fox shook his head and entered through the doorway into the dark warehouse, flicking his shades off an into his breast pocket.

Reggie couldn't help but get one more dig into the always snarky officer. "Hey did everyone tell you it was a pull door?" The resounding silence from the brooding vulpine only increased the Weasel's smile.

* * *

The warehouse was lit by small windows close to ceiling. If not for Reggie's night vision, he may have been completely blind. Still Weasels sight wasn't as evolved as Foxes, so it was no surprise to Reggie when he was the first to trip. What didn't help was the mixture of dust and cigarette smoke that hung in the air. It stifled the already thick atmosphere leaving the mustela struggling to breathe. They young officer knew it was affecting Wilde as well, for he heard the tod panting. They worked in silence, moving through aisles surrounded by metal frames with wooden shelves. Each shelf was filled with boxes upon boxes with what was presumably paper. It seemed to the young officer that they were in the middle of the warehouse, when he caught the fresh smell of Rabbit. The smell was off to his left and the Weasel followed the scent closely.

"Q-Tip, where are you-"

Reggie held up a paw to silence the Fox. "I smell something," he said as his nose flared and head whipped side to side. The smell was muddled and overlapped, throwing the mustela's sense of direction off. It was like the Rabbit been hopping about which, Reggie realized with a frown, was a distinct possibility. What wasn't helping was the lingering cigarette smoke which tickled his nose. The young officer sneezed and shook his head. "Fleas and Ticks, this smoke is killing me! How many did he have before he left?"

"Dunno," responded Wilde, "But it's not helping with anything." There was a pause from the Fox before he muttered, "Why break into here?"

"Maybe it's a competitor?" Reggie offered as he continued to try and find the origin of the smell, "take out their excess stock or something."

"While I imagine the margin for error in a paper company is...thin..." Reggie groaned, "Alright not my best...but I don't see this being corporate espionage. There has to be something else to it."

The Weasel found what smelled like the oldest spot for the lapine. It was all over and around a wooden box that didn't quite fit with the rest of the boxes. It was on a lower shelf against the far wall surrounded by boxes full of paper. The young officer shook his head as the smell of smoke was even thicker next to the box. He reached an apprehensive paw and pushed open the box. The mustela peered in. Inside were several black, metal looking objects.

"Why is the smoke thickening?" Reggie heard Wilde question, "Even in here it should be thinning out..."

The Weasel remained focused on the objects in the box. He ran a paw from one narrow, cylinder end to the broad, flat back of it. The young officer could feel the grooves on the item, but he just couldn't make out what the pieces specifically were.

"Wait a second...it should be thinning out..."

Reggie grasped a smaller, curved rectangular piece. He held it closer to inspect. A thought itched in the back of his mind that he knew what it was, that he had seen something like this before. He turned it in his paw and noticed an opening. Reggie brought it closer and muttered, "What is this?"

"We need to go cue."

The mustela squinted as his raced to figure out what the object was. He coughed as the smoke thickened. _"Wait a minute...smoke...thickening...?"_ The young officer felt a larger paw on his shoulder. He turned to see a distress looking Wilde.

"Weaselton," started the vulpine, panic lacing his voice, "We need to-"

Wilde was interrupted by a low hissing noise that was coming behind the Weasel. Before Reggie could react, a loud _whoosh_ echoed in the concrete warehouse and the mustela was hit by a wave of heat. The Fox screamed in pain and covered his eyes with both paws as the fire seemed to spread instantaneously. Reggie grabbed his partner by the wrist and placed the tod's paw on his shoulder. "We gotta move," the Weasel shouted, "smoke's filling up fast!" The smoke had risen to the ceiling, but it would only be a matter of time before it descended to the floor.

Reggie pulled the blinded Fox along as he tried to navigate his way back to the door. The smoke burned his nostrils and his eyes were tearing, but the young officer continued to push through. A shelf collapsed to the Weasel's right, and it was only by sheer luck that the mustela pulled the vulpine away before the fiery debris fell. The heat was unbearable and the young officer's breaths were becoming shallow as he panted for more air. The smoke began to settle lower and Reggie's limited vision was worsening.

Finally, by some miracle, the Weasel's paw found the door. The young officer blindly tried to grab the door handle. Eventually Reggie located the handle and grasped it, only to release it with a painful cry. The metal was scorching hot and the Weasel brought the burnt paw to his chest. He tried to glance around for anything to grab it with anything, but the smoke and fire were too much for him to see anything past his own paw. The mustela needed to act fast. He tapped the tod's paw and shouted behind him, "When you hear me scream... ** _Pull_**!" Reggie had no idea if the Fox heard him over the crackling of fire, but the tightening grip on his collar suggested Wilde did.

Reggie grimaced as he blindly grabbed the hot handle. Now prepared, the young officer let out a defiant scream as by turned the blistering metal. Wilde pulled and both mammals fell back into the warehouse inferno. A burst of fresh air from the outside was swallowed by tongues of fire as Reggie heard the fire roar. With little time to spare, the Weasel scrambled off his partner, grabbing the wounded officer's uniform and urging him towards the exit. Crawling on his paws and knees, the mustela finally exited the concrete oven, gasping and coughing. The young officer didn't stop until he had pulled Wilde several feet away, the sand feeling much cooler than the blaze.

A cry from his partner had the Weasel whipping around. Wilde's forehead was planted on the ground with a paw still on eyes and the other on the ground. "Wilde!" exclaimed Reggie he struggled to gain his balance. Even with his tail out and his legs spread wide, the young mammal was having trouble as he stumbled the few steps to the Fox before falling back to his knees.

The older officer held up a paw while the other still remained over his eyes, "I'm alright, I'm alright." He groaned, "Just was a dumb fox and tried to open my eyes...not my smartest plan."

Reggie sighed tiredly, the adrenaline slowly wearing off, "So can you see?"

"Problem isn't seeing," replied Wilde wryly, "It's to stop seeing spots...oh and the _blinding_ pain."

"Sarcasm now?"

"Yep!" the Fox retorted, "It's my go to for near death experiences."

The Weasel fell back exhausted, arms splayed out and breathing still difficult. "I get that..." His paws were burning, and the heat from Sahara Square wasn't helping the mustela. With the door still open, the young officer could still hear the crackle of fire and something metallic falling.

"Good news Q-Tip," started the vulpine officer, "The cavalry's coming."

"What are you...?" Reggie could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

Wilde chuckled, "My ears aren't just for show cue."

"Should we go to the cruiser?" the mustela asked as he continued to lay on his back.

"I don't know about you," the older officer began, "but I'm going to lay here a little while longer."

"Yeah..." was Reggie's response. His Kevlar feeling too heavy and breath too short, the Weasel closed his eyes and wondered how much trouble he was about to be in. _"Fleas...I'm so rutted..."_

* * *

Reggie was sitting in the bumper of an ambulance, oxygen mask on the tip of his muzzle as he stared blankly at the scene in front of him. Three Precinct Two cruisers, a fire engine and the ambulance responded to an emergency call. Officers had roped off the surrounding block, granted there wasn't much civilian traffic in the area. Two E.M.T.'s, a Coyote and an Addax, were taking care of the slightly singed officers.

As the young officer looked down at his burnt uniform and the bandages wrapped around his paws, he wondered what this was all about. _"Why light paper on fire?"_ the Weasel questioned internally _,_ _"What could anyone actually gain from any of this?"_ He signed and tried to scratch the back of his head, only to wince in pain as his paws made contact. Reggie grimaced at his once again useless paws. For every step forward, it felt that the mustela was taking two back.

"How's the pain?" came a voice from behind. The Weasel turned to see the Coyote E.M.T. emerge from the back. The tan mammal sat on the bumper with a soft sigh, "What a day..."

"Pain's fine," replied the officer, still staring at his paws, "Just annoyed...My paws **_just_** healed from another injury and now it looks like I'll be sidelined again."

"Nah," the canis said, "You got first and second degree burns, but as long as you change those bandages you'll be fine." The technician ran a paw over his muzzle, "Maybe five days? Just don't pop the blisters."

The last part was said so seriously that Reggie physically balked, "Why would I do that?"

"I dunno," responded the tech with a shrug, "but too many mammals do and it doesn't always heal right."

The young officer hummed in response. There was a moment of silence between the two mammals before Reggie glanced at the Coyote and spoke once more, "How's my partner?" The tech opened his muzzle, but was cut off by a voice from behind.

"Suave as always," came the voice of Wilde, the tod was making his way carefully to the edge of the ambulance, "Course you wouldn't know about that, now would you Q-Tip?" The older officer was wearing his shades in the already dark inside. The Fox blindly grasped for the side of the vehicle, while trying go remain cool. He finally found the edge and leaned on it, looking down with a casual smirk.

Reggie could see on the whites of gauze peaking out just of the sides of the glasses and frowned. This wasn't the time to hide weakness from each other. The two mammals were both burned, why was Wilde putting up this charade? The Weasel's brow quirked. He noticed the tod's ears titled slightly back and the smirk was too forced to be natural. The young officer had a...feeling...that this act may not have been for the mustela. If Reggie wanted to find out the truth he would have to make the first move. The Weasel focused on the Fox, "No I wouldn't know about that Wilde...but what I do know is my paws are killing me."

Wilde's postures relaxed and his smile became less forced, "I would say that at least you look good, but my eyes are a bit shot...and I'd be lying." The Fox's smiled grew and Reggie simply shook his head amused.

"I'm assuming this is some bonding moment for you two," the tech interjected. They Coyote pushed off the bumper and wiped the sand from his pants, "As much as I hate to ruin the mood, me and my partner have mammals who need our help and you two need help that neither of us can give. So if you two don't mind." He motioned for Reggie to get off the bumper, and the Weasel wiggled down and off. "Too cool for school, your time to get off too." The Canis placed a paw on Wilde's shoulder and supported the vulpine as he descended off the vehicle. Once the older officer was down, the Coyote jumped back into the amubalnce. "Now, if you'll excuse me gentlemammals." The E.M.T. shut the back doors.

Reggie was admittedly stunned by the Coyote, but there was little to do as the lights flashed on and the ambulance took off.

"Uh oh," said Wilde, "Dont look now cue, but we got trouble."

Reggie instinctively looked around, and he found the source of the tod's worry. Standing with her paws on her hips, ears erect, gaze directly on the and grey hind paw thumping angrily on the sand was detective Hopps. "Ah rutt..." the Weasel muttered.

"You made eye contact didn't you?" Wilde asked rhetorically, "I know those thumps from anywhere..."

The young officer swallowed dryly as the Rabbit marched her way towards the two. Each step felt like Reggie was about to receive a death sentence and he couldn't help but take a step of his own back. The mustela backed up into the older officer.

"Steady Weaselton," encouraged the vulpine, "Bunnies can smell fear."

Reggie nodded needlessly to the blind Fox and breathed deeply. He stepped forward between the irate doe and his partner. He noticed Hopps stop momentarily, she was close enough where he could see her nose twitching and an emotion the Weasel couldn't read. His own nose would tell him more, but the smoke had done a number on that sense so he was relying on his own sight. It looked like...happiness? Pride? Something positive for sure. It didn't last as the emotion subsided and Hopps seemed even more determined on her mission. "Now Hopps, I know what this looks like...but we had a perfectly good reason," the Weasel tried to appease, "It was supposed to be a simple investigation. None of..." His words died on his tongue as the doe held a paw up.

"Officer Weaselton," started the detective, frustration obvious in her voice, "I want you to know that Chief Bogo is already aware that you left your post and is ready to, and I quote 'Tear that Weasel's tail off,' end quote. If you don't move right now, I'll have to disappoint the Chief by performing the act **_myself_**."

Reggie flinched. "You tried cue," commented Wilde from behind, "but let Fluff get to the mammal in her sights." The Weasel wisely moved to the side and kept his wide eyes on the two.

Wilde was giving the most confident smile a mammal could give with singed fur. "Carrot's...I didn't know you missed me so much. I thought that you-"

"How many digits am I holding up?" Hopps asked, holding up three digits between the two.

The Fox's ears pinned, "Now why would you ask a question like-"

"How many Nick?!" He opened and closed his muzzle, but no answer came from the vulpine. Hopps walked closer to Wilde, "You can't see can you?" The question was rhetorical and the Fox seemed to deflate over it as the confident smile vanished and his shoulders slumped. The grey doe let out a haggard sigh and spoke so quietly that Reggie barely caught it. "How bad?"

Wilde's paws twitched, as if to reach for the Rabbit, but stopped and stayed at his side. "Bandage is a precaution till I get home. Spotting for the next day or two, and if it doesn't go away then I need to see a doc...but Judy-"

"Shush," commanded the Rabbit quietly, her ears falling flat on her head, "there is no argument you can make. No wise crack or easy going saying that'll make this all better Nick. You **_and_** Reggie could have died. There was no back-up and no one knew where you two were. If not..." her voice hitched. She cleared it and continued, "If not for _sheer **dumb luck**_ , you both could have lost your lives over what? _**Paper**_?" Hopps stopped and stepped back out of the Fox's reach, her fists shaking slightly.

"There was something else there," Reggie tried to defend, "Something black and metallic. Maybe guns?" The Weasel shrugged, "I dont have that much experience with firearms so I don't know."

The Rabbit turned towards the mustela, her eyes starting to shimmer but her gaze was hard. "My partner and I have been trying to locate all of Himils' stashes. Apparently the Pika was smart enough to hide some of his supply around the city."

"This was one of those places?" Questioned the Weasel.

Hopps nodded, "It was suspected yes, but we hadn't found the proof yet to get a search warrant."

Wilde sighed, "If I would have known..."

The Rabbit turned on the Fox in an instant, "You still would have gone in anyway." Her words were as sharp as gaze, and even though the vulpine couldn't see it he cringed anyway.

"I think there's an arsonist," once again Reggie tried to intervene, "A Rabbit that I smelled here and at another crime scene."

The lapine turned back on Reggie, "Another crime scene?"

"One in Precinct Eight that admittedly, me and Wilde did for fun." The mustela held up his paws defensively, "It was supposed to be a simple break-in case that we realized wasn't so simple."

The detective frowned, "You found a connection?"

Reggie pointed a bandaged paw at the Fox, "He did."

The doe turned back to the vulpine, her rage seeming to simmer.

Wilde pointed his muzzle down and whispered, "I know we'll talk later."

Any anger left in Hopps seemed to evaporate. Her arms were shaking, but this time it seemed from fear rather than anger.

Reggie stepped closer to the Hopps, her ears still down. "Detective," started the mustela in louder than normal tone, "Could you please give my partner a paw back to Precinct One? Mine are in no shape to help."

Hopps turned to the Weasel. He didn't need his nose to see her obvious gratitude. "I think I can be of service Officer Wesselton, and I'll drive the cruiser back to the station. Zirafa can follow us back."

Reggie froze. _"Zirafa...but didn't he...isn't he...?"_ The young officer shook his head, _"Deal with it another time..."_ The Weasel was drained and didn't have the mental fortitude to deal with the Okapi. All he wanted now was to see a friendly face and stay out of Sahara Square for awhile. Reggie had an idea of the mammal who may be able to help with that.

"Come along officer," instructed Hopps, "It's time to get you both back to Precinct One. Chief Bogo is waiting." She placed a paw gently on Wilde's forearm and tugged for the Fox to follow. The vulpine followed easily, seeming to trust the Rabbit's lead.

"Ah Tick," grumbled Reggie, "I just remembered I have to pick up the meter mobile."

"Don't worry, Trunkaby already picked it up," answered Hopps.

The Weasel's head cocked in confusion, "She can fit in it?"

The doe stopped and her own head cocked, then she giggled. "No, she _actually_ picked it up. It weighs less than a hundred pounds!"

"Every officer knows that, " chided Wilde, "How do you not?"

Reggie huffed with a smile as he started to walk behind the Fox and Rabbit, "I guess I still got more to learn..."


	46. Second Date

**Hello Readers,**

 **Here's another installment of A Weasel's Watch. Warning, this chapter contains sexual themes (I guess that's what you would call it?) Normally I don't do warnings, and this chapter in my opinion doesn't go over the Teen rating into Mature, but I wanted to give you a heads up. Criticism always welcome!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Reggie dragged himself to Sheri's apartment. Unlike the last time the Weasel was here, he was not looking his best. His fur wasn't cleaned and trimmed, but burnt and matted. Instead of fresh new clothes, the mustela was wearing the simple dark colored hoodie and sweatpants with a white undershirt that he came into work with. There was no anxiety this time around either, but knowledge that he had texted Sheri and she was expecting him any minute. The young officer walked up to the door and hit the call button for the raccoon's apartment. There was a chime, as Reggie laid his head against the intercom, before the barista's voice answered.

"Hello? Reggie, is that you?" came Sheri's voice.

"Yeah it's me," mumbled the Weasel as he pressed the button again to speak, "Sorry if this is bad timing."

"No, not at all! I'll be down for you in a second."

The young officer turned and leaned his back against the wall, avoiding the call box in the process. He had been through what felt like the equivalent of losing your job without being fired. Wilde was there too and didn't fare much better as the Fox's normally sharp wit stalled under the relentless assault of the Cape Buffalo. The only saving grace for the partner's was that the preliminary investigation had found several twisted pieces of black metal in the back of the warehouse. This gave credit to what Reggie had reported and also suggested Hopps and Zirafa were on the right trail.

The Weasel ran a paw over his eyes. His interaction with the Okapi was short and curt to say the least. The two had kept their distance while Wilde and Reggie answered questions for the two detectives, with Zirafa literally sitting as far away as possible from the young officer. If he were to be honest, the mustela wasn't sure how to feel about the larger Herbivore. On the one paw, he didn't blackmail Reggie into staying undercover. On the other, he didn't stop it either. Considering that the detective hadn't approached the young officer about the incident allowed for the mustela to ignore Zirafa completely.

The door clicked open revealing a smiling Sheri wearing a pair of beige shorts and soft yellow short sleeved shirt. That smile morphed into a frown as she got a better look at the Weasel. Her nostrils flared as her eyes studied the mustela carefully, "Reggie, I didn't know you smoked."

"I don't, shrugged the officer, he reached for the door, "I kind of-"

"Oh my gosh! What happened to your paw!?" exclaimed Sheri. Her eyes were drawn to the Weasel's bandaged appendage on the door. The raccoon's concerned gaze met the mustela's embarrassed.

"Sorry...I uh...kinda forgot to mention about that..." Reggie started apologetically, "There was a fire, and I kinda got burned."

"Kind of?" the procyon replied in disbelief, "How do you kind of get burned?"

"Well the E.M.T. said they're first degree and a second degree burns. They hurt right now, but honestly I've had worse this year." The Weasel opened his muzzle, and then closed it as he was unsure he wanted to continue. Finally the expectant look Sheri was giving him convinced Reggie to continue. "Six of my digits were dislocated, and I pretty much only ate soup and smoothies for four weeks." He shrugged, looked away and mumbled, "It's why my paws get stiff."

There was a heavy sigh from the raccoon that caused the mustela to glance back at her. She had one paw braced on the door still, but the other was covering her eyes. Sheri blew out a breath before breathing in deeply. The barista repeated the process before clearing her throat and removing her covering paw. The raccoon's bright, brown eyes were misty and she smiled apologetically. "Sorry," Sheri began softly, "I just wish that I had a heads up about your injuries."

"That's my fault Sher, don't apologize," Reggie said, "I shouldn't have come over in such a mess...I'll just..." The mustela turned to leave, but a paw grabbed his arm. He followed the paw to its owner and was surprised to see it lead to the raccoon. The mustela knew he shouldn't have, but having someone care about his well-being outside of family. There was no doubt that Sheri had stopped Reggie _because_ she cared, the concerned look in her eyes told the Weasel as much.

"Why don't," started the barista carefully, "You come upstairs and relax for a bit." She smiled weakly, "Maybe make our second date a stay-in affair? I can order a pizza and bring up a movie. How's that sound?" As Sheri spoke, her confidence grew, and at the end there was eagerness in her question.

Reggie chuckled at the barista's glee. Outside of Mary, there was no other mammal who had shown this much happiness in being around the Weasel. He wondered how to tell her that he's really happy around her too. The mustela shook away that kitlike thought and smiled at the now confused procyon. "I think that sounds perfect," answered Reggie honestly. A brow rose on the Weasel and his smile turned into a smirk, ""Don't you think it's a bit fast to be showing me your bedroom?"

"Ha!" laughed the raccoon, throwing her head back, "You'll be lucky enough to make it through the front door, _officer._ "

The young officer's smirk grew as he placed a paw on the still open door, "I'll find a way."

* * *

The corridors of Sheri's apartment smell of mold and dampness hung in the air, in other words a normal Rainforest apartment. The green carpeting and fake wood walls didn't help with the aesthetic of the interior. Still the Weasel cared less about the decorating and was more focused on the grey and black striped tail in front of him. Reggie was facing the conundrum of not staring too obviously at the raccoon's soft looking tail, but also staring at Sheri's tail.

 _"It's fine...we're climbing stairs...I'm not really staring...my...gaze is just forward...yep..."_

For four floors Reggie had this internal debate as Sheri led the Weasel up the stairs. Eventually they reached her floor and the Weasel forced his gaze to stay on the back of the raccoon's head. He studied her darker grey that turned black in certain areas and her rounded triangular light grey ears. The mustela found two things odd. One was that the young officer realized he had never properly studied the back of the barista's head. Two, that he was **_actually_** studying the back of her head. Of course it was either her head or her luscious looking tail. The Weasel's gaze faltered back down to the long, fluffy appendage. It looked so soft, so light, so sumptuous, and there was nothing more that Reggie wanted to do but run his paw over it.

Sheri stopped and Reggie, not paying attention, accidently bumped into her. The stuttered apology that was about to shoot out of the Weasel's muzzle was cut short by a glance over the shoulder by the raccoon. The procyon's gaze was mischievous and the smile with it sly. "Did you enjoy the view?" She asked coyly.

Reggie swallowed dryly and a brow on the barista rose. The Weasel glanced away, with a blush that burned hotter than the flames he escaped. "Y-yes!" exclaimed the mustela, "th-the carpet an-and paneling looks great. He moved closer to the wall as if to study the obviously cheap veneer. "Is this original?" Reggie wasn't even sure what that question was supposed to mean, but it was the first to come to mind and he needed the time looking at the wall to tamp down his blush.

Sheri giggled and the Weasel heard the jingling of keys, "Alright Officer Architect, why don't you step inside instead?"

The male glanced warily at the female and saw her opening the door to her apartment. The raccoon stepped through and Reggie followed. Whatever ideas he had about Sheri's living space were broken when he saw where the barista really lived. The mustela had imagined a large space with a fireplace and bookshelves full of assorted literature. In reality, the raccoon's apartment was much like other city dwellings. The front door opened to a small kitchen that had all the essentials necessary including a dishwasher. The Weasel caught glanced of several different types of coffees and teas littering the cramped counter space. With them were a tea kettle on the stove, a normal coffee machine and what looked like one of those personal espresso machines. Sheri was standing with the fridge open as her eyes studied its contents. The linoleum flooring felt cool compared to the rest of the dwelling as Reggie continued further into the apartment.

The kitchen shortly gave way to a living room. Dark green carpeting, similar in texture to the one in the hallway stretched from wall to wall. In a corner where the living room and kitchen met there was a small table with two chairs, just big enough for two small mammals. There was a couch, beige and puffy with what seemed like velour material that had lost its softness long ago. On the couch in a ball was an old, brown blanket. Small, black shelves that were only two spaces high across from the couch held different magazines and books. A television and black laptop were perched on the top of the shelves.

To the male's left was a closed door. He reached out a bandaged paw for the handle, but a clearing of the raccoon's throat stopped him. "My bedroom," commented the barista as Reggie turned to look at her, "Not much to see in there..." The mustela continued to watch the procyon as she bobbed her head back and forth, "...except for the bathroom...horns above why didn't I think of that?" She covered her eyes in embarrassment and Reggie couldn't help but smirk. How was she able to go from confident flirt to bashful host so easily? The mustela didn't know the answer, but he was willing to find out.

"Do you have something to drink?" asked Reggie, trying to break the growing awkward tension.

"Yes!" exclaimed the barista as she gestured to the counter, "As you can see, I have a wide selection of caffeinated beverages. Care to pick your poison?"

"Coffee sounds good to me."

"What type? I have Arabica, Robusta, and some Excelsa...Oh!" Sheri clapped her paws together, "I have Blue Mountain still!"

"...ok," answered the mustela cautiously, "What's so special about that?"

"Well," the raccoon started as she stepped forward, her closer to a whisper, "It's said that it tastes like prey."

Reggie balked, "How would anyone know that?"

"I don't know!" squealed the increasingly excited procyon.

"Does it taste that way to you?"

"Nope!" answered the barista, "In fact I think it's more nutty than anything...but **_still_** isn't that crazy!?"

The Weasel shook his head and chuckled, "Alright, one cup of whatever Blue Mountain is then."

"Coming right up!" Sheri set to work right away in the flurry of activity that Reggie knew to expect from her at work. The Weasel continued his walk into the middle of the living room, trying to fully take in his surroundings. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The apartment smelled of the dampness of the Rainforest and of the vegetation that grew in it. It smelled of the freshly brewing coffee and the old aroma of tea, all mixing together with Sheri's personal scent. It felt comfortable as his hind paws flexed in the soft carpet and the soft white lighting shone as Reggie opened his eyes. It felt safe, secure, and just right. It felt like home.

"You can make yourself comfortable," called out Sheri from behind, "Sit and relax on the couch."

The Weasel glanced over his shoulder with a smile, "I think I will."

* * *

"So what are we watching?" Reggie asked as he grabbed his second slice of pizza. After Sheri making his drink to perfection, the raccoon ordered pizza with green peppers, onions, grubs and pineapple. Sheri pawed over a plate to Reggie and grabbed the first slice, seeming to savor every bite of the greasy meal. The Weasel wasn't sure about the fruit, and no surprise picked it off after his first bite.

Sheri was surfing through her cable channels with a half eaten slice and a concentrated expression. "Gimme a sec," the raccoon replied, her gaze still locked on the TV. She gave out a triumphant cry as she landed on a seemingly good channel, only to groan when the program was showing credits. "Uh...want to put on Nutflix and chill?"

"Mmhmm," the mustela responded with a mouth full of pizza. He swallowed and shrugged, "Sounds good to me."

"Alright...one quick sec..." The barista placed her slice down on her plate and stood up. Sheri walked to the laptop, opened the lid, and started to type on it. There was the chime of the password being accepted, some humming from the procyon as she set up the browser before finally connecting the HDMI cord from the television to the laptop. "Alright, what do you want to watch?"

Reggie was torn. The raccoon had bent at the waist and the Weasel was once again struggling to not look. He tried to focus on his pizza, only for his eyes to glance over at the procyon's fluffy tail, then his chin accidently with the slice. The mustela tried to wipe the grease away with the back of his paw, but to not avail. When he looked back at the barista, his eyes still low, he found a pair of paws on hips to meet him. Slowly, the young officer's gaze rose to meet Sheri's, expecting to be torn a new one by the female.

Instead of anger, there was amusement in the raccoon's gaze and her muzzle held a small smile. "Were you looking at my tail?" the procyon asked rhetorically.

Reggie swallowed dryly as his mind raced for the best possible answer. There was none. The best thing to do for the mustela was admit to the mistake and hope they could get past it. The Weasel's tongue had dried out, so he nodded his head to answer her question.

"So you _were_ looking at my tail?" questioned a surprised Sheri. Reggie nodded once more. The raccoon gave the Weasel an appraising look, her eyes raking over him from top to bottom. Eventually the procyon shrugged nonchalantly, "Ok. I've done the same to you." Reggie's brow rose, his eyes went wide and his cheeks grew hot. "Now," Sheri continued with a clap of her paws, "Since I caught you peeping, **_I'm_** going to choose what we watch." Her eyes narrowed playfully on the mustela as she waved a digit at him, "I hope you like the romantic genre."

"Actually," Reggie interjected, finding his voice once more, "I was wondering if we could watch Stardust...I, uh, remember you told me it was your favorite and haven't been able to see it yet."

The raccoon's brow furrowed and her paws fell from her hips. "You remembered that?" she asked, barely loud enough for the Weasel to hear, "that was...so long ago..."

"I try to remember everything you like," replied Reggie easily, he hesitated before continuing on, "Also your dislikes, though you don't seem to have too many."

The barista giggled before answering. "Ok, we can watch it." She crouched down, slightly turned sideways as she scrolled the movie selections before she found the title. With a quick click, and then an even quicker scamper back to the couch, the two mammals were ready to enjoy the movie.

"Thanks for this," Reggie murmured as the movie started, "today was..."

"I understand Regg," quietly responded Sheri, "we all have bad days."

The Weasel nodded as he continued to watch the opening scene, trying to immerse in the story. With his one paw bringing up the slice of pizza, he felt something cover his free paw. A quick glance revealed Sheri's on top of his. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, but there was a slight blush in her ears. Reggie smiled and focused back on the movie, enjoying the warmth of cheese and the raccoon.

* * *

Reggie's not completely sure how he got in this position. Sure he was aware of the series of events. First he fidgeted in his seat on the couch. Then Sheri asked if he was uncomfortable and he denied it, causing a back and forth conversation. At the end, the decision was made for the mustela to stretch out on the couch. That's how the young officer found his head in Sheri's lap, enjoying the light petting the raccoon was giving him. In hindsight the male was _**very**_ much aware of how he ended up in this position.

He had really tried to pay attention to the story of Tristram and Ewevaine, but once his muzzle lay across the barista's thighs it became much more difficult. There was a point in the story that spoke to the young male. The point of just trying to get home was a sentiment that the Weasel understood. He hadn't felt like he was home in a long time. The place he grew up in stopped being a home after Rick became violent, and his time in the R.F.L. made him for all intents and purposes homeless. Even Duke and Duchess apartment didn't feel like home to the Weasel. He loved his family, really he did, but there were times when he felt like an outsider...a guest. Here, in Sheri's apartment, surrounded by her books, hobbies and scent, it felt to Reggie like he was supposed to be there. His home hadn't disappeared, but simply moved up a level in the Rainforest District. The mustela knew the feeling was directly connected to the raccoon he was resting on, granted she was bringing out new feelings in him all the time. As the movie continued, and Tristram and Ewevaine shared their first kiss, a thought popped into the Weasel's mind.

 _"It could have ended without you saying it... Without you knowing his answer..."_

Reggie frowned. That's what he said to Hopps, why would it be rattling in his head? The smell of smoke wafted back into his nostrils. The Weasel had grown so comfortable that he had forgotten momentarily _why_ he felt the need to visit Sheri. As what was becoming a recurring dilemma, the young officer almost died. It came with the job, and Reggie understood that long before he was accepted into the Academy. Now though, as the raccoon ran her paws through his fur, the young officer wondered how much longer this would last. This moment of pure bliss wouldn't last forever, and his relationship with the procyon could end any day he went to work. It could have been all over today with regret still in the Weasel's heart. The mustela's heart pounded in his chest and his breathing became shallow. The male steeled his resolve. He pushed up off of Sheri, ignoring the flares of pain as his paws protested the action. The officer straightened up to his knees, paws coming to rest momentarily on his thighs. The procyon's gaze moved from the movie to the male, her brown eyes questioning the movement. Reggie closed his eyes and breathed deeply, pushing against the adrenaline coursing through his veins. The officer opened his eyes partially and reached out to frame the raccoon's muzzle between his paws.

"R-Reggie?" stuttered the female, "wh-what are you..."

Reggie leaned forward, inches away from Sheri's. He felt her hitched breath blow through his whiskers. The Weasel closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't a spark, but a lightning strike when their lips touched. There wasn't a flame, but a raging inferno of fervor that was fanned with each frantic beat of the mustela's heart. His mind didn't go blank, but erased everything before this singular moment when the young male finally fulfilled his last desire. Reggie's paws burned as his hold on the raccoon strengthened, a small inkling of fear worried that Sheri would pull back.

The raccoon didn't pull back; instead her paws found the back of the Weasel's head and pushed him to deepen the kiss. She moaned softly as her digits ran through his fur. Her gentle touch sent a shiver through the young male as her paws moved to the mustela's chest. Sheri leaned back, and yanked Reggie to follow her down.

The Weasel's paws slipped from her muzzle to brace against the arm of the couch. The sudden movement, and force of his paws hitting the couch, elicited a painful cry from the male. The female stopped and pulled back from Reggie. Her heavy breathing matched his as the two were reminded that they did need oxygen to survive. The mustela leaned his forearms against the arm of the couch and laid his head on the procyon's shoulder. Breathing deeply with his cheek against the raccoon's, the officer slowly realized how...snug their position was. "When did you wrap your legs around me?" whispered Reggie softly.

Sheri chuckled breathlessly, "I thought you had situational awareness... _ **officer**_."

The Weasel's eyes remained closed as he tried to pinpoint when the raccoon could have accomplished this feat. All the mustela could recollect was the pleasure of the kiss. A warm tingle still present on his lips reminded Reggie of another warmth he was experiencing. The mustela pushed up, careful not to use his paws, and looked at the female beneath him. "Sheri!" he trilled. Reggie whole muzzle flushed at the sound that escaped him. He cleared his throat and glanced away from the raccoon. "Sheri," the male started much quieter, "Do you want me to get off of you?"

"Now why would I want that?" purred Sheri sensuously, her gaze filled with desire as her paws found their way under the Weasel's shirt, "Especially when I have you... _right...where...I want you_."

Reggie breath hitched and his body stiffened as the raccoon's short claws dug through his fur to the skin underneath. He let out a low moan and closed his eyes. A shudder ran down the male's spine and pleasure blossomed throughout his body. The mustela collapsed back down, head back on Sheri's shoulder, breathing like he had just run a marathon.

"Did you just..."

"No!" trilled the Weasel again. He couldn't tell if his cheeks were burning because of the embarrassment of the noises he kept making or if the male was just running hot after what the female had done. Either way Reggie needed to catch his breath. "Sorry," mumbled the mustela, "I don't have much experience in...this..."

"I'm sure whatever experience you have will be perfectly fine," Sheri whispered, her muzzle almost touching the male's ear, "You haven't let me down yet."

"Well...um..." Reggie swallowed dryly, "H-how do you feel about none?"

The raccoon hummed as her paws once again explored the back of Reggie's head. They stopped, moved to the Weasel's shoulder and pushed him up. "Wait...none?"

"None."

"Like none, none."

"Yep."

"As in you're a..."

"Please don't make me say it!" groaned the Weasel.

"Never known the touch of the opposite sex?" offered the raccoon.

"When you sat it like that-"

"-A.K.A. a virgin." The Weasel groaned again and the raccoon giggled. The mustela felt her legs release him and she pushed him off. Reggie fell backwards and Sheri straightened up. Her shirt had ridden up and the male caught a tantalizing glimpse of white fur hidden underneath. The barista ran her paws over her muzzle and back of her head to flatten out her fur. Finally the female closed her eyes and breathed deeply several times.

Reggie had no idea what had happened, but he missed the warmth of being surrounded by the procyon. He straightened out his own shirt and adjusted his sweatpants as necessary. The male foucsed back on the female, her eyes still closed but her expression morphed into a frown. He tried to think positive, and their recent interaction helped greatly, but still a small piece of him worried.

 _"She regrets it,"_ thought Reggie bitterly, _"I moved too fast and now she'll hate me and regret ever giving me a chance...Fleas if I only held it together! This is_ ** _All_** _your fault! Stupid, stupid, stupid-"_

"Reggie, did you hear me?"

The Weasel blinked. He had just spaced out and Sheri had been talking to him. Any chance of saving seemed to have slipped through the male's digits. _"Idiot..."_ He smiled sheepishly, "No...sorry...I, uh...missed what you said."

"I said we should stop here," Sheri repeated, "I don't feel comfortable continuing."

"Oh..." Reggie replied, his shoulders slumping, "...I understand."

"I don't think you do," started the procyon, she sighed and ran a paw over the side of her muzzle, "I...didn't want to tell you this...at least not so early in our relationship...but you wouldn't be my first."

Reggie snorted, "I figured that." The harshness of his words didn't register until he saw the hurt look on Sheri. "No, I didn' t mean..." the Weasel sighed, "I meant that you know what your doing compared to my fumbling efforts."

The raccoon smiled, "It was sweet." She looked away, her smile disappearing, and shifted on the couch, "My first time wasn't special, and in my other relationships it was never their first either." The female focused back on the male, "I guess...I always wanted the opportunity to make it special for someone." Sheri's smile returned even brighter than before, "The fact that it's you, Reggie, is amazing." She reached over and placed a paw over his, "I want to show you how much you _**truly**_ mean to me."

Any doubts that existed in the Weasel vanished into thin air. He was a fool. Sheri didn't regret it or feel pressured, but wanted to make the experience mean something to both of them. A warm feeling spread throughout the young officer's chest. Reggie couldn't tell what it was, but in this new moment all the male wanted was whatever would make the raccoon happy. He placed a paw over hers, trapping it between both of his and smiled. "Ok," replied the Weasel with a nod, "Ok, I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"Great," breathed the female, "because right now I need you to leave."

The Weasel blinked, "What?"

"Reggie," began the female as she placed her free paw on his shoulder, "The only reason your clothes are still on is because I really... _ **REALLY**_...want to make this special. Do you understand?"

The male could see a hungry glint in the female's eye, a glint that was terrifying as it was arousing. Reggie popped off the couch, and barely registered that the movie had ended. "Well I had a great time!" exclaimed the Weasel, "Really should do this again." He moved to kiss her, but her carnal gaze gave the mustela pause. "I guess..." The young officer headed towards the door cautiously, his gaze never leaving Sheri. The raccoon's unblinking stare followed the male. "...I'll head out now..." finished Reggie as he put a safe distance between the two. He turned and grabbed the handle of the door.

"Oh Reggie..."

The mustela froze with paw on the handle. Sheri sounded willing and dangerous. He began to turn, "Yes-" A paw landed on his shoulder, spun the Weasel around and pushed him into the wall. Reggie let out a guttural grunt as he came face to face with the procyon.

Sheri chittered as she ran her paws up the Weasel's chest. Her eyes were half lidded, muzzle slowly moving towards the mustela's. Before Reggie could speak, she pounced with her lips smashing into his. The female's paws grabbed the male's and pulled his arms around her, positioning Reggie's just above her tail.

The mustela squeezed the procyon tightly, drawing her closer to his chest. Sheri's intensity doubled since their beginning on the couch, and the Weasel did his best to keep up. His paws found the hem of her shirt and the male slid a paw underneath and up her back. The feel of her soft fur on the tips his digits pulled Reggie even deeper to Sheri. He ignored the dull pain and ran his claws up her spine, returning the favor from earlier. She gasped and her back arched away from his touch. Worried he may have overstepped the mustela opened his muzzle to apologize, but was interrupted by an unrelenting assault by the procyon.

Sheri moaned into the male's muzzle as her paws ran all over the Weasel. Her paws eventually found Reggie's face and she ran her digits through his whiskers to the back of his head. She pulled him in tight, a light whimper escaping the barista as a leg tried to wrap around the officer's.

Reggie ran both paws up and down Sheri's back, relishing the feel of her fur under his claws. He was losing himself to the pleasure, embracing everything the female sent his way. The Weasel kissed down the raccoon, moving from her lips and down her cheek. His lips found her neck and he buried his nose past her fur to the flesh underneath. The mustela breathed in the scent of the procyon, continuously kissing as Sheri filled his lungs. She let out a cry, and all of a sudden Reggie was alone. He blinked dumbly at the space that the female just occupied, his arms still out as if wrapped around her. Slowly, with eyes glazed, Reggie looked around.

She was standing across the kitchen space, back against the counter and fur on end. Her paws desperately gripped the sides of the counter and she wore a conflicted expression. "That was crazy," Sheri muttered quietly, "much more than even ** _I'm_** used too." The raccoon smiled weakly, "That makes it even more important for me to make it special for you." The argument was as fragile as her smile, but as important as a promise.

The Weasel continued to stare foolishly, any cognitive thinking taking its time to come back. Eventually the words sunk in and he nodded. "Yeah," his voice cracked, "I get that." Reggie reached for the door handle again, but his paw missed it completely. The officer reached once more and firmly grasped it. He turned back to the female, wanting to have one last look. She was stunning to the male, a beauty with no equal, and he wanted nothing more to express that. He wanted the words to spill out freely, telling her in exact details how she made him feel. Instead his muzzle opened and closed, his words stuck in his throat. Finally Reggie cleared his throat and said the first thing came to mind. "I'll see you again," the officer stated, "Soon."

A soft smile came across the procyon's lips, "I would like that."

Reggie nodded once more, breathed deeply, and opened the door. He stumbled through the doorway, only remembering at the last second to close it behind him. He needed a paw to steady himself, taking another second to recuperate before heading towards the stairs. The male swayed back and forth, drunk off of ecstasy.


	47. Relationship Revelation

Reggie and Sheri hadn't repeated their performance from a week ago. The two had become much more touchy-feely with each other, but they only met in public. The meetings themselves were normally sharing lunches and later catching a movie. One time they simply walked through the streets of Savannah Central, enjoying the evening air. The Weasel's heart would quicken whenever he touched the raccoon freely. It was never more than running a paw across her back, but the new sensation of such an act was such a thrill for the male. Of course he had a sneaking suspicion that Sheri wanted to touch his tail. Every now and then a paw would "accidently" swing too far back or reach a little off and brush against it. Reggie never said anything, not willing to spoil her fun.

It was a blessing and a curse to be in public. A blessing because it allowed the mustela and procyon to keep it PG when they met up, therefore removed temptation. A curse, because being out in public meant dealing with other mammals. He didn't miss the dirty looks and hard glares sent their way, or even some of the whispers when he held the barista's paw. He tried not to let it affect him, but too many times he caught a look that made his fur stand on end. One possum glared so hard, that Reggie felt that too familiar itch to dance all over the other mammal's muzzle. Instead he tightened his grip on the raccoon, who smiled and the anger disappeared. It affected him so much, that on their last outing he wore his uniform as an added deterrent. He may have been a Weasel, but a badge was still a badge.

The young officer was writing his hundredth ticket, finally reaching the quota for the day. He sighed contentedly knowing that he met his requirements for the day and could slow his pace for what was left of his shift. That contented feeling left when his partner spoke.

"Just hit a hundred?" asked Wilde coyly from behind, "I hit mine before lunch."

The Weasel spun and pointed an accusatory claw at the Fox, "I _**would**_ have reached it earlier if _**some mammal**_ didn't keep stealing cars from me!"

The vulpine was relaxing in the meter mobile, his hind paws on the dash and stretched out in the vehicle. The older officer was wearing the same ridiculous outfit as the Weasel, yet managed to look less ridiculous than the rookie. His bowler cap was tilted slightly and somehow the reflective vest fitted to his lithe form. The Fox still looked foolish, but compared to the Weasel who looked like he had stolen his grandfather's hat and grabbed a larger mammal's vest, it was a vast improvement. Wilde tilted his shades, revealing an amused look to go with his smirk. "I can't help it if you aren't fast enough cue, maybe you should speed up."

Reggie glared daggers at his partner, but didn't respond. Wilde had a valid point. The Weasel wasn't as fast as he used to be. While time on Parking Duty did give the young officer the benefit of being outside and getting some exercise in, his time with Sheri was cutting into his normal routine of working out. He hadn't figured out a happy medium and the vulpine poking that sore spot, even if accidentally, didn't sit well with the mustela. Before Reggie think of a comeback, the sound of giggles behind him stopped the male.

"Hey there handsome," a sultry voice called from behind, "What's cute cop like you doing in a place like this?"

Reggie froze, and he saw Wilde's ears perk. The mustela turned slowly. Behind him were two red vixens, eyes fixed on something...or someone... past the Weasel. Both wore dresses short enough that even Cherry would be hesitant to go out. With the same color blush, eyeliner and lipstick, the two females were so similar that the young officer couldn't tell if they were related or not. The only noticeable difference was one had blue framed sunglasses sitting on the top of her head, and the other green.

This wasn't the first time in the partners shared week of Parking Duty that the vulpine was approached by vixens, and in one hilarious case a tod. The natural charm of the older officer, as well as his celebrity status made all sorts of mammals approach, but females were the worst. They swoon, sigh, and bat their lashes. The tod would smirk, tell a joke and then that he's taken. This wouldn't be so annoying to the Weasel, if not for those who wouldn't take the hint. That turned Reggie from "easily ignorable partner" to "angry Weasel who dashed our hopes of getting Nick Wilde." It was fun...once...but now the curses and accusatory glares were starting to get to him. It may not have been so bad if they didn't remind him of the glares with Sheri.

"Ladies," called out Wilde, "What brings out two fashionistas as you on such an equally lovely day?"

"Enjoying the view," replied the green framed one, her gaze raking up and down hungrily.

Even Reggie felt uncomfortable from the obvious stare, and he heard Wlide's discomfort as well.

"Ha ha!" laughed the older officer a little too loud, "Well as much as it _fills_ my heart with joy to see such vixen's such as yourself enjoying the weather, me and my partner here will have to be on our way." Wilde stepped next to the Weasel and gave slick nudge, "Isn't that right?"

Reggie stepped forward with a nervous smile. Unlike others, these two had no tact with their flirting, and even though he wasn't their target it still made him wary. "Apologies, but we really should be go-"

"Ugh I recognize you," sneered the female with blue sunglasses, her gaze filled with disgust, "You're the Weasel who I saw that the trash panda." Reggie froze, his blood running cold. "Remember Dee, I told you about that cop who was hanging all over the _**striper**_."

" _Oh my gosh_ , I do!" replied the other, wide eyed and paws coming to her cheeks, "You almost barfed you said."

"I know it was disgusting."

"Get lost," Wilde commanded with his voice hard, "Before the garbage mammals come and mistake you for _trash_."

The blue framed one scoffed and rolled her eyes while the other hesitated. "Are you siding with-?"

"My partner?" interrupted the tod. He glanced back at the Weasel and smirked, "Yes, yes I am." The smirk grew into a predatory smile as Wilde focused back on the two. "Of course I _**would**_ consider giving you the time of day, if it wasn't obvious that the only thing you want to pump out of me is your father's love." He folded his arms and his tail gave a quick swish, "Lemme guess...middle class, average student who was told her best _**ass-**_ _s_ et was just that." The tod examined his drawn claws, "Daddy worked too long when you were a kit, so now you try to bag any tod that come close enough to his age when _you_ realized you weren't the princess he made you out to be." His paws fell to his side, "This has led to the continuous cycle of being rejected again and again by father figures and only increasing your need for _**some**_ validation, which I would never give you. So to finish out my tirade..." Wilde tipped his aviators, revealing a fire behind his calm visage, "...have a good day."

Reggie's gaze kept ping ponging between the vixens and the tod, amazed at the cuts his partner had just delivered. The Weasel was well aware of Wilde's sharp tongue, but to see it in action fully made the young officer glad he had the buffer of Hopps for a long while. He focused back on the blue framed female, and saw tears begin to build in her wide eyed, slack jawed expression. The mustela felt a moment of empathy for the young female, but it vanished as her face grew spiteful.

"You...you're...trash!?" sputtered the irate female. She stepped forward as her friend tried to pull her back and was whispering frantically. She turned on her friend with ears pinned and teeth bared, " _ **No!**_ I won't _**let it go**_!?" The pissed female turned back on the officers, but Wilde had his fill.

"Let's go Weaselton," said the older officer as he placed a paw on Reggie's shoulder, "Nothing to see here." He turned the Weasel and pushed the younger officer towards the meter mobile.

"I'm not finished!" shouted the furious vixen, "You...dirty _**roach!?**_ Why don't you and your little species slut leave Zootopia!?"

Reggie tried to turn, no one talks that way about Sheri around him, but the steady paw of Wilde stopped him.

"Don't," the Fox whispered quietly, "She's lashing out at you because she knows I'm right. If you turn you make it worse. For Sheri, don't."

 _"For Sheri..."_

The Weasel shrugged on the vulpine's paw and increased his speed. He needed to get away from the ranting of the vixen or else he would do something he would regret. Reggie knew he would enjoy it in moment, but losing his job wasn't worth it. _"Besides, it's your turn to pay,"_ the young officer reminded himself, _"And how mad would Sheri be if she had to buy her soda?"_ The answer was an obvious "Not at all," but the male focused on the things he wouldn't be able to give her if he lost his job. The shouting from the female had turned shrill by the time the officers made it to their vehicle. Even though it was his turn to drive, Reggie jumped in the passenger seat and gripped the seat as hard as possible. He kept his eyes forward and heard the older officer slide in and start the electric motor.

"Keep it together cue," encouraged Wilde, "I know a few quiet places around here."

Reggie nodded curtly, eyes focused on nothing and body shaking in anger. His breathing was becoming shallow, but worst of all was the growing twitch to smile. "Please drive..." begged the young officer. He closed his eyes with teeth gritted and tried to control his breathing. _"Think of Sheri, think of Sheri, think of Sheri..."_

The small vehicle moved slowly away from the screeching vixen.

* * *

For the rest of his shift, Reggie flipped from anger to paranoia and back again. The Weasel continued to fume at the vixen's words, and wanted nothing more than to shut her annoying trap. Then he would worry about others approaching the raccoon in the same way but doing more than talking. He would then become pissed at the actions the make believe mammal and to shut their imaginary muzzle. The Weasel's thoughts spiraled like this the rest of the day, and it affected his productivity greatly. He only wrote eleven more tickets in the last three hours.

Wilde hadn't remained silent, but his normal barbs were lessened and the Fox focused on telling stories compared to his usual jabs. He told Reggie about some of the more amusing cons he had been a part of, including playing father to a Fennec Fox for popsicles. The older officer also talked about a time him and Hopps were flushed down a toilet. Reggie didn't even crack a smile at these stories, his inner turmoil and guilt tearing him up. Still the older officer continued to try and break the younger out of his funk.

Reggie was sitting on the bench in front of his locker, head in his paws, as he tried to muster the energy to undress. He felt like a total failure, a fool for thinking that wearing his uniform in public wouldn't make them even more of a target. It was such an impulsive action to take, no wonder why it backfired on the mustela. He ran his claws through the top of his head and closed his eyes, _"What am I going to do?"_

 _"I put a target on her back."_

 _"I'm the reason she's in danger."_

 _"My fault."_

 _"My fault."_

 _"My fault."_

"Hey Weaselton." came a voice.

Reggie opened his eyes and turned to see who was talking. It was Wolford. They grey Wolf was out of his uniform and in street clothes. He wore an apprehensive expression and was almost peeking around the corner at the Weasel. "Hey Wolford," the mustela replied exhaustedly, "what's up?"

As if granted permission, the lupine moved quickly from the locker to the bench. He sat extremely close to the Weasel, eyes darting back and forth before opening his muzzle. "I heard, your dating someone who's not a Weasel," started Wolford barely above a whisper, "That she's...uh...a raccoon."

"Who told you?" Reggie demanded with his gaze on the Wolf hardening.

Wolford brought his paws up defensively and scooted away from the irate Weasel, "Fangmeyer...but she said she found out from Delgato, who heard it from Grizzoli who heard it from Wolfowitz and Jackson who heard it from Clawhauser who heard it from a complaint leveled against you by a civilian."

The young officer's eyes went wide, "What complaint?"

The lupine shifted in his seat and looked away, "Apparently some Pig came in to try and place a complaint against the disgusting snake, who is rutting outside of his species." Wolford's eyes went wide and ears pinned. "Not that I think that, " hastily added the Wolf, waving his paws frantically, "I thinks it's great! Beautiful…not disgusting…An-and I bet she's just swell and obviously you're a lucky male-"

"Wolford, its ok," assured Reggie, "I didn't think you were the one saying that." He faced forward and sighed heavily, shaking his head, "I messed up badly."

"Well Clawhauser didn't actually take the complaint," offered the lupine, "and even if he did, you were off duty in a consensual relationship. You did nothing wrong."

"I shouldn't have gone out in my uniform," muttered the Weasel, "I should have just kept it here...then this wouldn't be a problem."

"That's pretty dumb," said Wolford, "You're a cop, it's a part of who you are, separating that from you is ridiculous."

Reggie felt a rush of anger, his muscles tightened and his paws balled up. He moved suddenly, striking his locker with a resounding thud. "Why?" He struck again, ignoring the radiating in his paw. " ** _Why_** _!?_ " Again and again he punched the locker, seeing the leering gazes of the mammals who hated him and Sheri. A larger paw grabbed his arm, stopping another punch. The Weasel closed his eyes, grimacing as he panted. He laid his head against the banged up locker and let out a heavy sigh. "Why can't they leave us alone?"

"Are you worried your family will find out?" asked Wolford quietly.

Reggie pushed off the lockers, another sigh leaving him. "I don't care what my family says," started the Weasel, "if they can't accept I'm with Sheri than that's their problem not mine." He turned to the Wolf, "I don't even care **_what_** mammals are saying about me...though I'm still sensitive about Sher..." The young officer opened and closed his muzzle, trying to find the words to express himself. "What I care about," he began carefully, "is what those words may lead too. I don't want her to deal with some crazy mammal because of me." He ran a paw over the top of his head, "It frightens me to no end not knowing what mammals will do."

Wolford shrugged, "Sorry to say, you can't control that." Reggie chuckled dryly at the lupine's candor. "What I have learned is that you can only control what you do, and nothing else." He scratched the back of his head and smiled apologetically, "Trust me, if I figured out how to control mammals I would have done it a _**looong**_ time ago." The lupine laughed and the Weasel smiled politely. Finally the Wolf calmed down and sat back down on the bench.

Reggie opened up his battered locker, paws still stinging, and started to unbutton his shirt. His mind was elsewhere, when he heard the lupine ask him something. The Weasel glanced over to other officer with an inquisitive look, "What'd you say?"

Wolford shifted in his seat and clasped his paws in front of him, "So...what's it like?"

The Weasel shrugged, "What's what like?"

The lupine cleared his throat and glanced around nervously, "You know...dating outside your species."

Reggie stopped taking his shirt off midway and frowned. "I guess..." started the mustela hesitantly, "...it's no different than dating a Weasel." The expectant look on the lupine's muzzle led the Weasel to continue. "I mean I don't have lots of experience, but we do all the traditional dating things." He tugged off his shirt and hung it on a hanger. "We go out to dinner, movies; I've been to her place." The young officer began to undue his duty belt. It may have only held a pen and a ticket machine, but he needed to get used to weight somehow. "We hold paws and...Kiss..." Reggie blushed at this revelation and kept his gaze focused on the inside of his locker. "The only thing is she eats more vegetables and fruit than I do...but I don't know how much that's a Weasel and raccoon thing and more of a Weaselton and Ringtail thing."

The Wolf frowned in contemplation, "...So her name's Sheri?"

Reggie froze. He then groaned and smacked himself on the forehead, " ** _You're_** not Wilde...damn it..." The Weasel grimaced and turned to the lupine officer, paws clasped and wearing a pleading look, " _Please_ don't tell anyone! I don't want her swarmed by the Z.P.D.!"

Wolford lifted his muzzle in the air and rubbed his chin with a paw, a wry grin on his face. "A raccoon whose name is Sheri and is in the Savannah Central area..."

"Wolford, please-"

The Wolf snapped his digits and pointed an accusatory claw at the Weasel, "It's the Snarlbucks barista!" He then leaned forward and whispered, "Do you get free drinks?"

Reggie pinched the bridge of his muzzle, "Why does everyone ask me that?"

"Priorities Weaselton!" Wolford replied playfully sarcastically, "Now, yes or no?"

"No free drinks," answered the Weasel, "and no free anything else."

The lupine smirked slyly, " _Nothing's_ free?"

The young officer opened his muzzle to respond, but snapped it shut when he realized the other officer's emphasis. "You're an ass," muttered the mustela. Wolford laughed and Reggie couldn't help but chuckle as well. A thought occurred to him, and his gaze narrowed on the Wolf. "Why are you so interested in my relationship?"

A slight blush appeared in the lupine's ears before they folded back. He cleared his throat and stood, "Well I should be heading out. I got places to be, mammals to see..."

Reggie grinned wickedly, "Perhaps not a Wolf?"

If it wasn't becoming more obvious to the Weasel that Wolford had more than just locker room talk on his mind, than the fearful look on the lupine's face solidified. The young officer watched with a knowing smirk as his co-worker's muzzle opened and closed. His gaze followed the Wolf as he started to walk away. There was a moment, when Wolford's ears stood up and a victorious smile graced his muzzle as he opened it to speak. It disappeared as fast as it appeared, and the normally jovial lupine quickly retreated.

The Weasel shook his head and chuckled, "That was a shot in the dark." He sighed and ran a paw over his eyes. The Wolf had raised a good point, one that Reggie had been putting off for some time but didn't seem possible anymore. He would need to make a few phone calls and check in with Snarlov to see if he had a couch available if he needed to leave the apartment in a hurry. The young officer's shoulders slouched as his mind start running through all the possible outcomes from his next course of action. "Time to tell Duke and Dutch," mumbled Reggie sullenly. He hoped that he was worried for nothing.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sheri asked for the hundredth time, "There's still time, you _can_ wait."

"My sister already knows," replied Reggie quietly into his cell phone, "besides, knowing my aunt and uncle they'll find out eventually now. Better to hear it from me." The Weasel was back at the apartment, sitting on his bed and leaning against the wall. Duke and Duchess were home, with the young mustela holed up In his room like his teenage years. He made two calls before he was at the apartment. One to Mary simply saying he was going to tell his aunt and uncle about Sheri. The other call was to see if Snarlov had any free space. His sister had been supportive and said she would be there. The ursine laughed boisterously for several minutes before telling Reggie to "dig a hole for shelter, buttercup." The mustela wasn't sure if Snarlov was serious, but he wouldn't have put it past the older officer.

"How are they going to know?" argued the raccoon, "They don't live or work in Savannah Central?"

"Trust me, Sher," Reggie started, pinching the bridge of his muzzle, "they _**will**_ find out."

She sighed on the other side, "Ok...do you want me to tell my family?"

The question was asked so hesitantly that the Weasel paused. Even though he knew the barista would do it, there was obvious reluctance to the idea. It worried the male that Sheri seemed reluctant. Did she not consider their relationship seriously? Would her parents disapprove? _"Another talk for another time..."_ Reggie decided, realizing the only reason _he_ was telling Duke and Duchess was because they would find out on their own. "No, you do that when your ready."

"...ok..." the raccoon responded meekly.

Reggie sighed and closed his eyes, "One family at a time, ok?"

"Ok," Sheri replied, this time sounding more her usual self, "Should I be there or..."

"I would rather keep you out of harm's way...just in case things don't go well."

The barista scoffed, "I can handle myself!"

Reggie smiled, "And I've seen you in action...but it's more like my family fights differently and you kind of need to how to do it or it'll get worse." The kind of "fighting" the Weaselton family engages in is ear splitting screaming with verbal attacks, threats of murder and every now and then a plate broken. To a newcomer it may seem like all of the Weasels had gone mad, but the male was aware of the subtle dance. The insults were usually true, the threats to show how passionate they were, and the broken items allowed for each to keep their paws off each other. The screaming just came with the territory of being a Weaselton.

Sheri sighed, "Alright...but call me if things get bad, ok?"

The Weasel nodded his head, "Ok." There was a quick knock on his door. "I gotta go Sheri...bye..."

"Bye..."

Reggie ended the call, always feeling like more needed to be said at the end. He frowned momentarily, but shook away the feeling for another time. _"Focus Regg! Time to male up!"_ He shook his arms and breathed in several large breaths, feeling his nervousness grow. The Weasel grasped the door handle and turned it. The smell of chicken wafted in the air, another gift from his aunt's "friend." He walked to kitchen table and sat down, feeling as if it could be his last meal. Why was he dreading this so much? The young officer glanced to his aunt in the kitchen, her back to him. It was because he loved his family, quirks and all. Having to sacrifice them for Sheri felt as if he was cutting off his own tail, but Reggie knew that he had strong feelings for the raccoon.

Duchess turned and gave the young male an amused look, "What's da matta Regg?" Reggie shook his head, but didn't respond. "Wells I hopes ya ain't gettin sick."

"Leave 'em alones Dutch," shouted Duke from the couch, "if he's ain't in da talkin mood, den he ain't gonna talk!"

"I ain't talkins ta ya, _Du~key_ ," his aunt mocked, "So why doncha keep ya trap outta it!"

" ** _You's shut yours mouth or I's_** -!" Duke was interrupted by the opening of the front door.

Reggie turned to see his sister, matching the same from expression he felt himself wearing. She walked over to the table and sat to his left. She smiled reassuringly, but her eyes showed the same uncertainty that the young male felt.

"Glad ta see ya Mare," Duchess greeted, "but why da you's an Regg looks like ya goldfish died?"

"Can you sit at the table for a moment?" The aunt looked confused, but went to the table and sat across from Reggie. "Duke, can you join us too?"

"Why's?"

"Duke," Mary spoke sternly, "sit at the table." The uncle grumbled, but Reggie heard him walk over. Eventually pulling out a chair and flopping into it. "Thank you uncle Duke," the nurse said with a wide smile, "Now, Reggie has something he wants to tell you two." The young female turned to her brother, smile still present and squeezed his paw reassuringly, "Reggie?"

The young officer nodded with his expression blank as he steeled his nerves. "Duke...Duchess..." started the young male slowly, "I'm dating someone."

The older siblings glanced at each other, before looking back at Reggie, "Okay's..." responded the aunt hesitantly.

"She's not a Weasel..."

"Yeah she's a raccoon's," responded Duke nonchalantly, "What's da big deals?"

Duchess smacked her brother's arm, getting a surprised jump from him in return. "Ya _**Idiot**_ ," she hisses, "he was jus bout ta say dat!?"

"Well he's was takin fureva ta bring it up!?" Duke exclaimed with paws thrown up in exacerbation, "how's can I's keep dis up if he gonna dance around it!"

"Wait, you both knew!" shouted Reggie, his brow furrowing in confusion, "And you didn't say anything?" He turned to his sister, "Did you tell them?" Even before the question left his muzzle, the brother could read the confusion on Mary's face. She shook her head silently no, wide eyed and muzzle slightly ajar. The young male turned back to his aunt and uncle, "How'd you find out?"

"It was ya aunt's ideas!" the older male accused, pointing a claw at his sister, "she's da one whose called in da favor!"

"It was you's whose suggested it Duke," snarled the older female, her bracelets jangling as she slammed her paws on the table, " _ **You's**_ da one's who said Regg was actin funny!"

"Hey, I didn't tells ya ta call Frankie da Fix now did's I's?"

"I's didn't calls Frankie," Duchess defenced and folded her arms, muzzle pointed the air, "I calleds Pauly One-eye."

"Pauly One-Eye!? Dat possum can't see nuffin!"

"Well he's saws enough ta see dat Reggie was goin out wit dat raccoon, now didn't he's!?"

"Enough," shouted Mary, paws coming up between the three of them, "That's enough." She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her muzzle, "All that matters is you both know. So..."

The older siblings shared another glance. "So's what?" asked Duke.

"So what do you think!" exploded the nurse, throwing her paws up in the air, "Why else do you think we decided to sit together before dinner!"

The two older Weasels shifted uncomfortably, neither meeting the younger female's gaze. "I dunno," offered Duchess with a shrug, "I thought dis was jus sumfin you wanted ta try..."

"You forced me's here," grumbled Duke, now with his arms crossed, "I thoughts I was gonna stay on da couch till dinna."

"Focus!" Mary commanded, growing impatient with each passing second. She breathed out and in to calm down. "What do you think of Reggie dating a raccoon?"

"I's don care," Duke responded with a shrug, he looked at his sister, "Do's you's?"

"I cares dat he didn bring her ova for dinna yet." Duchess said angrily. She focused on her nephew with a hard glare, "Wha, we's ain good enough's fur hers? Is dat wha she dinks?"

"No," started Reggie with his paws coming up defensively, "we've been keeping our dating under wraps. The only reason I'm telling you know is because mammals found out."

"So's ya weren gonna tell us at all den. Keep dis litta secret till wha? You's two get married!"

"No...it's just..." Mary stood from her seat and Reggie turned pleasingly to his sister, "Can you give me a paw here Mare!"

"I'm going to go change," mumbled the young female rubbing the side of her head. She walked away from the table and down the hallway to her room.

"Mare, wait! Mary!" Reggie's begging went unheeded by his sister who disappeared into her room. He turned back to his aunt and uncle. Duchess was still focused on him, but Duke barely seemed to care as he drew circles with his claw in the table. The officer breathed in deeply and let it out. "Duchess, I was planning on telling you two, but only after things got serious between us."

"Dings sound pretty serious ta me's," countered the aunt with an unblinking stare, "Ya goin out all jittery an comin back all smiles an such."

"Wh-what are you-"

"Ya ruttin yet?" Duke bluntly asked. This earned the uncle a fiery stare from his sister and a wide eyed, red cheeked stare from his nephew. "Wha?" the older male defended, "We's was all dinkin it!"

"Ya jus can't ask dat Duke!" Duchess exclaimed.

"Why's not? I gosta know if we gotta starts worryin bout grankits."

Reggie groaned, his head falling to the table. "Bitter Spirit eat me already..."

"Don' talk like dat Regg," warned the aunt, "An Duke, dhey can't have kits. He's a Weasel an she ain't."

"We haven't even talked about if we wanted to live together," mumbled the young male, "Let alone if we want kits or not."

"Well's ya ain't gettin 'em da ol' fashion way." Duke said with a sly grin and a wink.

"I hate you uncle Duke. I hate you and I'm going to bury your body in the sand."

"Now's ya know how I's feels!" chimed in Duchess, "but seriously Regg, ya gotta bring hers arounds den. I wanna see what she dinks of my's cookin'!"

"Mary," Reggie cried helplessly, "Please come back!" There was an echoing silence to the young male's plea.


	48. Dress Down

**Hello Readers,**

 **Nice and easy chapter this time for A Weasels Watch. Expect a much longer chapter next week. Criticism always welcome and enjoy!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Reggie fidgeted in the cruiser passenger seat, his seat belt adding to the uncomfortably of his dress uniform. "Why do I need to go in this?" lamented the Weasel as he pulled at the tight, dark blue material, "my duty uniform would have been fine!"

"Supposed to make you look more professional, kind of like why they allow the accused to wear suits at the trial," responded Wilde, his eyes on the road, "course we both know that's futile in your case."

Reggie snorted and glanced at the Fox, "Personal experience?"

The older officer grinned, "Never as the accused, but I did play the part of lawyer once."

Reggie rolled his eyes and watched the scenery pass by quietly. The mustela had been called as a witness to the Dustbowl Avenue bank robbery. Apparently the "questionable" method of taking down the accused was being argued as Police Brutality. When the young officer had first heard this, he laughed. Then he became slightly insulted. It wasn't like they beat them with bricks and pipes, they used their own physical bodies. The Chief had assured the Weasel that this was simply normal court tactic, but that didn't make it right.

 _"What the rutt they want us to do, wait for that Rhino to run out of bullets?"_

The mustela sighed and ran a paw over his eyes. He couldn't believe that the crime was only months ago as it felt like years had passed. Reggie was a different officer since that incident. Sure he was still the same angry, stubborn, still has some murderous intent Weasel at the time, but now he had friends and a girlfriend. His life had gotten so much better, even if it had to get so much director get there first.

The courthouse came into view and Wilde pulled the cruiser to a stop. "Time for school Q-Tip! Now don't forget your lunch." Reggie glared at the smug Fox. "Don't give me that look little mam," the vulpine continued to tease, rapping a knuckle on the Weasel's shoulder, "How about we get a pawsicle afterwards. Ok?"

"I hope you get your tail stuck in the door." deadpanned Reggie. He opened the cruiser door and slid out. The Weasel turned and called out, "Have fun with Wolfowitz today. I bet you'll just _love_ his opinion on Fur Trek."

"He's in for a rude awakening!" replied Wilde with a smile, "I'm a Star Boars fan."

The mustela chuckled and rolled his eyes. He gave a quick salute to his partner and closed the door. The Courthouse was made of grey granite, large columns supporting the front. On top of the triangle roof of the building was a large bronze set of scales balanced evenly. The Weasel huffed as he climbed the small set of stairs as he stared at the roof. In the young officer's experience, justice wasn't always balanced, and mammals didn't seem to mind tipping the scales in their favor. He knew the importance of following regulations was to keep everything legal and smooth out the process, but the reason for him being called to trial was regulations not keeping up with the times.

 _"Hopefully the Chief will fix that,"_ Reggie thought, _"I can't keep coming here every time I make an 'Assisted Arrest.'"_

What also chafed the young officer, other than his too tight Dress blues, was that today was supposed to be his first day back on the beat. After passing the physical, he had been looking forward to this day. It was pulled out from under him because of some slam dunk case needed _**even more**_ proof of no wrongdoing. Reggie pulled at the collar of his shirt before fixing it, grumbling under his breath as he reached the small mammals' door. "...Should have broken something on the Cheetah," he muttered darkly, " _ **Then**_ they would have reason to complain, but _nooo_ a Cheetah got beat by throwing a Weasel and _All of a sudden_ he can't handle it anymore..." He yanked the handle to the courthouse door and stepped through, Reggie's mood deteriorating with each step.

* * *

The young officer was sitting on the witness stand, the hippo judge to his right, looking out onto the small courtroom. The seats were abandoned, no family for the defendants and only two journalists in the back typing away their notes. The ticking of the stenographer echoed off the walls as a Weasel in a tailored suit sauntered from his place at the defense table towards Reggie. The older mustela's fur was groomed to perfection, his claws shined and trimmed and his smile showed all of his teeth. Reggie had never seen a shark up close, but he imagined that it would be something like this.

The officer had heard of the defense lawyer, a smart mustela named Nathaniel Wezaill, also known as Tricky Nat. The lawyer was rumored to be extremely underpawed, with witnesses sometimes disappearing or refusing to testify once trial began. He was known for defending the worst of the worst, but only the richest of them. It seemed to Reggie that this could have been a Pro-bono case for the seasoned attorney. The Rhino, Cheetah and Wallaby watched their lawyer carefully as he approach the other mustela.

"Mister Weaselton-"

"Officer." interrupted Reggie.

"I'm sorry?" asked the lawyer, his smile never wavering.

"It's _Officer_ Weaselton," emphasized the young mustela, "Not Mister."

"My apologies," the lawyer said unapologetically, " _Officer_ Weaselton. You testified that you saw my clients robbing the bank, with one holding a gun. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Yet, you also testified that the streets were filled with civilians running out of this 'supposed gunfire,'" the older Weasel air quoted with his digits. He turned his back to Reggie and walked towards the Prosecution's table, a scowling Muntjac Assistant District Attorney watching his every move. "You also mentioned that you and your partner, Officer Hopps, were out of the recommended range for your tranquilizers, is that correct?"

"Yes."

The lawyer folded his paws behind his back, still facing away from Reggie, and continued his questioning. "What is the recommended range?"

Reggie shrugged, "About one hundred feet."

The older mustela turned dramatically, tail whipping behind him, "One **_hundred_** feet!"

"Uh..." Reggie glanced at the Prosecutor who seemed just as confused as he was, "...Yes?"

"So your telling me, that you were able to see through stampeding mammals over the distance of _**one hundred feet**_ and were able make out my clients supposedly by their backs!"

"Well not just their backs," corrected the officer, "Mister Alquarn did turn and point the gun at me."

"Allegedly!" retorted the Wezaill with a raised claw, "Allegedly it was my client, yet by your own statement you were only halfway to the suspects, which would have been **_fifty feet_** and were looking at his face." The lawyer leaned against the witness stand, "Or were you looking at the gun?"

Reggie balked, "You mean the gun your client was holding?"

"No, I mean the gun the suspect was holding," retorted the suited mustela. He pushed off the stand and walked back into the middle of the room, "Would you consider yourself a violent mammal, _Officer_?"

"Objection!" shouted the Muntjac with a raised hoof, "Relevance?"

"Your honor I promise this has a point," begged the defense attorney.

The hippo frowned, a hoof rubbing his chin, "I'll allow it for now, but get to your point Mister Wezaill."

"Thank you, your honor." replied the Weasel with a slight bow. He turned his gaze back to Reggie. "Would you like me to repeat the question?"

The officer frowned, "When I need to be."

"Yes or no, please."

Reggie's frown deepened, "Well then...no."

"Are you sure-I'll rephrase!" The last part was added with a paw raised towards the Prosecution, who had stood up. "Considering the facts that you admit to being at least one hundred feet away from the suspects, their backs turned to you and a stampede of mammals rushing past, is it not possible that you found three mammals that _**looked**_ suspicious and decided they were the guilty part?"

"No I-"

"Isn't it also possible that you and the Z.P.D's rush to judgment, as well as your past documented physical altercations is what swayed you to injure an innocent bystander who was trying to get away?!"

"He was fleeing the scene!" responded the officer heatedly, "and I have only gotten into altercations with those committing crimes."

The lawyer's smile grew predatory as his tail bounced behind him, "Is that a fact?" The older mustela rushed back to his table and grabbed a manila folder. "Your honor I would like to submit into evidence documents six, seven and eight."

"Objection your honor!" The Muntjac stood, "You already ruled this evidence inadmissible to this trial."

"Your honor this shows a clear pattern of abuse!" cried the Weasel.

"Except that all of those reports are from _**after**_ the arrest of the defendants and therefore have no relevancy to this trial!"

The hippo banged the gavel twice. "That's enough," commanded the judge, "Mister Wezaill I warned you about trying to sneak this information into the trial as it would be prejudicial. My decision stills stands and the objection is sustained."

There was a twitch in the mustela lips, if Reggie wasn't mistaken it may have been the start of a frown. Still the defense attorney's smile returned, "Officer Weaselton...I would like to discuss you and Officer Jackson's...unusual procedure for arresting my client."

The officer sighed internally, hoping this would be over soon.

* * *

Reggie was exhausted; who knew testifying could be so draining? The Weasel was sitting on a large mammal wooden bench, slouching against the back as his hind paws were well off the ground. "Well that sucked," murmured the mustela. The sound of chuckling next to the young officer had him glancing at his companion.

Sitting next to the small mammal was Officer Jackson dressed officially as well. The bench was made for mammals the Tiger's side, so the officer was leaning against the armrest with his head in a paw. A lazy smile and half lidded eyes accompanied the feline's mirth. "Yeah...cases are never easy when you're accused of stepping over the line." He glanced over at the smaller mammal, "Course when that line hasn't been drawn..."

"What was the point of some of the questions?" bemoaned the Weasel.

"Defense has to make it seem like their clients are innocent. Their job is to prove reasonable doubt, and Wezaill is one of the best at that."

He glanced around the mostly abandoned hallway. Granite was still visible, but there was veneer of marble on some of the surfaces of the support columns and bronze coverings for the vents. Add in all the wooden furniture and wide open windows, all barred from the inside, and the young officer couldn't help but feel like he stepped back in time. The Weasel frowned as his gaze remained unfocused looking forward, "Do you think they'll be convicted?"

"Camera footage, paw and hoof prints on the weapons, and more than enough eye witness to prove more than one mammal saw them...I think so...but I've seen stranger things..."

Reggie frowned, "That doesn't sound reassuring."

Jackson laughed, "The justice system isn't about being reassuring, but being **_right_**. 'Better that ten guilty go free than one innocent suffer...' or something like that."

"Who said that safe advice?" scoffed the mustela.

"William Blackclaw a long time ago," responded the feline. He frowned and glanced at the Weasel, "You disagree?"

"I've seen what happens when the guilty are free," muttered the young officer darkly, "And it's never pretty."

"That's why It's important for us to get it right," replied the Tiger. He smiled reassuringly, "And we definitely did this time around. Old Wezaill had to pull some dirty moves just to make them look innocent."

"Nothing dirty," a smooth voice said, "Just my job." Reggie glanced to see Wezaill walking towards them, a studded briefcase in paw and smug grin in place. "Officer Weaselton," started the older mustela, "I'm glad to finally make your acquaintance." He held out his paw for the officer, but Reggie simply laid there, suspicion rooting him in place. Wezaill chuckled and dropped his paw, "Not one for niceties I see. No matter...it's good to see more Weasels enforcing the law."

Reggie pushed up, rising to his elbows, "Is that what you call what you did? Enforcing the law?"

"Everyone has a right to legal representation," responded Wezaill pointedly, his grin disappearing, "I thought that they covered that in the Academy." He chuckled and smirked, "Who am I kidding? The evidence is overwhelming against my clients. Officer Jackson, how long has the jury been deliberating?"

"Roughly three hours," gruffly replied the Tiger, "Probably wanted to make sure they got the free lunch."

"No doubt about that." He reached into jacket. Reggie reacted and bolted up, paw going to his empty side. The lawyer chuckled and shook his head, "Not very trust are you?" He flicked a business card into the officer's chest. "If you ever get bored...or find the force isn't for you...give me a call."

Reggie picked the card which had fallen into his lap. It was white card that simply read "Nathaniel Wezaill Defense Counsel" and a number underneath, no address or any form of noticeable marking. Before the Weasel could rip up the offending scrap of paper, the orange and black paw of Jackson snatched it from him.

"Weaselton's sticking around," Jackson spoke, a slight growl in his throat, "unlike you, he _justice_."

"Officer Jackson, you wound me!" The lawyer placed a delicate paw above his chest and mockingly sighed in anguish, "Truly _**this**_ is Police Brutality."

"Your talking to a Weasel with a _pattern of abuse_ ," remarked Reggie, his gaze hardening on the other mustela, "Maybe reconsider your words."

Wezaill grinned, "I should get back to my clients, they need help planning their next move once they're free from this trial." The lawyer turned away from the two, but stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "Send my regards to Duchess."

The young officer went to move, but was stopped by a larger paw. "Don't worry Weaselton." growled Jackson, "Everyone gets what's coming to them eventually."

"Yeah..." Reggie replied, running a paw over his eyes, "I just wish his was today..."

"Who knows?" the Tiger chuckled, "Day's not over yet."

The Weasel tried to smile, but simply grimaced. He watched the lawyer continue down the hallway until he turned a corner. It was only then could Reggie breathe again.

* * *

Reggie was waiting outside with Jackson. A Guilty verdict on all counts came back and the Weasel was happy that justice had been served. The two officers were waiting for their ride, which was running late. "What the rutt is keeping Wolfowitz and Wilde?" The mustela frowned, "Bet it's something stupid, like Wilde got his tail caught in the cruiser door."

The Tiger hummed in thought, "My guess...last minute coffee run."

"It's almost time to clock out, why would they need coffee?"

"Oh it has nothing to do with coffee," Jackson smugly responded, "Witz has been talking up a barista in Sahara Square for the last month or so." He chuckled and shook his head, "Dunno why he doesn't just ask her out."

There was a pause, and the young officer had a feeling what was coming next. "So you're dating a raccoon?" There it was. Reggie sighed and rubbed the side of his muzzle, "Yep...any other questions?"

The feline chuckled, "Getting a lot of this, huh?"

"Annoyingly so," grumbled the Weasel, "I can't tell if mammals are trying to be supporting or are _really_ that interested in my relationship."

"I'd say a mixture of both. Take it with a grain of salt, it won't last much longer." The Tiger sighed contentedly, "Soon you'll be old news and a crime wave will strike or Gazelle will drop a new album and Clawhauser will start talking about that."

Reggie glanced suspiciously at the feline, "So you have no real interest?"

"Just trying to make conversation Weaselton," Jackson looked down and grinned at the small mammal, "unless you wanna talk Fur Trek. I could talk about that _all_ day."

The Weasel winced, "Uh, no thanks." The Tiger laughed and Reggie smiled. His mirth lasted until he saw a red small mammal sports car pull up. Driving was Wezaill, smile in place and eyes now hidden by a pair of black shades.

"Miss the bus boys?" called the lawyer, "I'd offer you a ride, but there's only room for one." A shadow fell over the smaller car, drawing the older Weasel's attention.

"Natty, are you messing with my associates?" teased Wilde, hanging out the passenger side window of a large mammal cruiser. The Fox's aviators and signature smile firmly in place.

"Not at all Nicky," replied Wezaill, his body tense and tail flicking up and down, "Was simply offering these fine gentlemammals a ride!"

"Sorry pal, these two prefer something more reliable and less..." the vulpine officer tilted his glasses down and swepted his gaze over the sports car, "...gimmicky. There's nothimg worse than a con without style."

"And those flashing lights on top are _**so**_ subtle. I'm surprised the Z.P.D. is noticed at all!"

"Did you hear that Nat?" Wilde questioned, cupping a paw to a perked ear, "It sounds like an ambulance that needs chasing." The Fox waved flippantly at the older Weasel, "Now run along before I tell Dutch your giving her nephew a hard time."

"See you around Nicky," Wezaill smugly responded, "We both know it's only a matter of time before _**I'm**_ defending _**you**_."

"Wouldn't hold your breath Natty, hasn't happened yet. Now get out of here before I write you up for illegally parking." The two mammals eyes were hidden behind their respective glasses, but it was obvious to all that they were staring each other down as Wezaill drove away. The Fox clapped his paws together and spoke over enthusiastically. "Well that was fun! Now get in so we can get out!"

Jackson laughed and Reggie smiled while shaking his head. Fake or not, his partner had a point. The well dressed officers moved to the back of the cruiser, the Tiger opening the door and Reggie climbing in first. Being in his dress uniform meant that the actual climb was more difficult than usual, with the young officer doing his best not to dirty the outfit. Finally, after more of a struggle than normal, the Weasel made it into his seat, the metal grate separating the mustela from the front. "Wolfowitz," started Reggie, drawing the White Wolf's attention, "How bad was today?"

The lupine officer groaned, his head falling to the steering wheel, "How do you put up with him every single day?"

"Bodily threats," commented the Weasel nonchalantly, "and the promise to fulfill them."

"You gotta catch me first cue," Wilde replied, pulling his avaitors down to wink at the smaller mammal, "and frankly that Forty time of yours is pathetic."

"Whose forty?" asked Jackson as he sat in the cruiser, closing the door as he settled.

"Just Weaselton slowing down and letting this **_old mammal_** beat him in a race."

"It wasn't a race," defended Reggie with arms folded, glaring daggers at the Fox, "You said 'Hey let's race' and then pushed me as you sped off down the sidewalk."

"Sounds like a race to me!" joked the Wolf.

"Hey Wolfowitz, Jackson told me he likes that guy you like. You know on Fur Trek."

"I did not!" protested the feline.

"So he finally admits it," the lupine gloated with a wide grin, catching Reggie's gaze in the rearview mirror, "No one can resist Quirk's charm."

"Funny how it only works on females," the Tiger snidely remarked, "Or are you trying to tell me something Witz?"

The Wolf's ears pinned, "Hey...that's not...what I'm trying to say is..."

Reggie smiled as the lupine officer tried to defend his position, but only seemed to make it worse. He squirmed as they continued to drive, eventually giving in and pulling at his uniform shirt. "Damn things so uncomfortable," muttered the young officer.


	49. Third Date

**Hello Readers,**

 **Here's the newest installment of A Weasel's Watch. A little bit of sexual reference here just so your aware, but nothing graphic. Criticism always welcome and enjoy!**

 **-CG**

* * *

Reggie briskly walked towards his destination. He was running behind schedule thanks to a delay in the trains. Sheri had told him to come to a little cafe on the ground floor of the Rainforest District at 8 AM and it was already 8:03. The Weasel was torn between running full tilt and looking like a mess or slowing down and showing up too late. Finally his destination appeared, a cafe named "The Vine Yard," which was bustling with activity. Thankfully he spotted his raccoon right away.

Sheri was sitting at an outside table under an awning, sipping on a cup of what could only be coffee. She wore a yellow sundress with thin straps, revealing the procyon's lighter grey fur. The barista stopped mid-sip and turned towards the Weasel. Sheri smiled and waved.

Reggie couldn't tell if his heart was pounding because of his anxiety, the speed walking, or the sight of the raccoon. He decided all three and smoothed out his shirt. The Weasel had been told to wear "Something nice" by Sheri, but had honestly no idea what that meant. After asking Mary, and her laughing up a storm at him trying to decode this message, she instructed him what to wear. The officer had bought a sky blue polo and khakis. Thankfully he wasn't wearing a button down or he would have been a mess. He waved back and moved to her table. Before he was seated, a Beaver waiter came with a cup for him.

"I hoped you would get here before it cooled," commented the raccoon, "and I'm glad to see you did!"

"Sorry!" apologized the Weasel, "The train delayed and getting off was a mess because of all the mammals standing about and-"

"Reggie, breath!" Sheri placed a paw over one of the Weasel's, "It's ok. Deep breath." The mustela breathed deeply, before letting it out slowly. The raccoon smiled, "There you go! No need to get worked up over something this small." She released his paw and leaned back into her chair. The procyon brought the drink up to the teasing smile on her lips. "Any other mammal would be excited for tonight."

The officer flushed at the mention of their "plans." Their days off finally lined up, and the raccoon had asked Reggie if he wanted to spend the day with her. The mustela jumped at the opportunity, but she wasn't finished.

 _"Maybe even...spend the night...?"_

The Weasel's mind went blank when she said that, and it seemed that only the rigor mortis grip on his phone is all that stopped it from falling. When he did regain consciousness, he found that their conversations had ended and he agreed to spend the night. This led Reggie to the dilemma that had bothered him non-stop. _"What the rutt am I supposed to do?"_ The Weasel knew the letter of the law, could take down mammals ten times his size, worked for the best Precinct in the city and even went undercover for three months to stop gun smuggling yet...the raccoon sitting across from him intimidated the officer more than _**any**_ other mammal he had faced off against.

Reggie smiled nervously, "No, I'm very excited...yep..." He should have been excited. A female was practically _throwing_ herself at him, yet he was scared. The Weasel looked down at the warm mug and picked it up. The faint hint of Chai tickled his nose and the cinnamon colored swirl of liquid called to him. The mustela closed his eyes and sipped the warm beverage. The hint of spice and pinch of bitterness told him everything about it. Reggie opened his eyes with a soft smile, "Dirty Chai? Am I so predictable?"

Sheri smiled back, her paws clasped on her mug, "Yes and No."

The Weasel looked down at his drink and sighed contentedly. The reason for why he was so worried hadn't eluded the mustela, but that didn't make it easier to do deal with. Sheri was _**special**_ , not only to him but in general, and Reggie wondered if he could live up to her expectations. This wasn't simply worrying about lack of performance in the bedroom, but in life itself. She had it all planned out and was a self-starter, and he sometimes felt he didn't belong in the Police. The raccoon made everyone's day better by simply smiling, and he made it worse by being around. They were polar opposites in many ways and Reggie couldn't help but wonder when it would all end. He knew that he should enjoy the ride and savor every moment, but it was hard when she was the best thing to happen to him.

" _Reg~gie,_ " Sheri sing songed, "You there?" The young mustela felt the raccoon's paw gently push his muzzle up. He glanced at her, before back down at his drink. "Aw Reggie...what's going on behind that handsome face of yours?" Reggie blushed. "You're so cute when you blush," giggled the procyon. His blush deepened. There was a moment of silence between the two before the barista sighed heavily, "Just talk to me Regg..."

The Weasel ran a paw over his head and sighed, "It's just..." He opened and closed his muzzle, trying to find the words to express his apprehension. "I'm...worried that I'm not good enough for you..." The mustela looked up at the procyon, her cocked head and searching eyes showing her confusion. "You've done so much for me, and I feel like I've done _**nothing**_ for you. Sher your just so perfect an-"

"Hold on Cutie," interrupted Sheri, placing a digit on the male's lips, "I am _**not**_ perfect by any standard. I'm just a normal raccoon." She finished her statement with a shrug and apologetic smile.

Reggie scoffed and rolled his eyes, "You're definitely _**not**_ normal."

"But I'm not perfect either," countered the barista with a raised digit, "And the sooner you stop thinking I am, the sooner you'll realize how perfect _**you**_ are."

"I'm not perfect." grumbled the Weasel with a frown.

"But you aren't normal either," the raccoon retorted with a sly grin. She put her mug down and placed her paws over the Weasel's.

His grip was still tight on his own cup, and the female pushed up. Slowly the mug came to Reggie's muzzle. He blew on it before taking a small sip. The mustela closed his eyes as he enjoyed the drink. It wasn't as good as when Sheri made it, but was delicious nonetheless. He drank another sip.

The raccoon sighed and the Weasel tentatively opened his eyes. The female looked apprehensive, her paws resting on her own mug once more. "I...didn't want the day to start like this..." She chuckled mirthlessly and shook her head, "In truth I would rather not talk about it, but..." Her gaze softened and grew misty, "I think I need to tell you, because _I know_ how bad it could be to think someone is perfect."

"What are you talking about?" questioned the Weasel as his dread began to build.

Sheri grimaced, "I'm going to tell you about my...dating history..."

* * *

 _I didn't start dating until I was a junior in High School. You may not believe it, but I was shy growing up._

 _You're right I don't._

 _Ha! Shut up...Anyway I was shy. The Meadowlands doesn't have a large population of mammals outside of herds. So there were a ton of Sheep, Horses, Goats and so on, but not too many other types. Being a raccoon made me stand out a bit, and with that came the normal prejudice._

 _I've...experienced that before..._

 _*Sigh* I could only imagine...There was me and my brothers and one other raccoon. A striker for the small mammals' soccer team named Brad Prokouv. He was everything that a girl could dream of in High School. He was popular, athletic, well off and had a car, so pretty much every "Cool Guy" stereotype that they show in movies. He didn't notice me at first, me being a grade lower, but that all changed my junior year. All of a sudden he would go out of his way to talk to me, compliment me on my fur or dress or whatever he could. I felt like I was the only thing when he looked at me. One day he asked me out and I said yes. It was...ok...he said all the right things and did what was expected, so I did what I thought was expected of me..._

 _...Your first time?_

 _...In the back of his car...He didn't talk to me after that...Afterwards I found out that Brad did that to a lot of girls, so even in that sense I wasn't special._

 _I'm sorry._

 _It was a long time ago...but hopefully this explains why I acted that way the other night._

 _...It does..._

* * *

The couple walked to the ground level stop for the Sky tram. The pair had finished their drinks and eaten a few choice pastries. Their conversations had been light after Sheri's story, with Reggie torn between two feelings. One was tracking down this Brad and showing the other male _why_ you don't play with mammals hearts. The other was a need to keep Sheri close, just in case someone else tried to hurt her. He settled for wrapping an arm around her and scanning for possible threats. The female had wrapped her arm around his lithe midsection and was leaning her head on his shoulder. If mammals had problem with the pair, they didn't voice it.

Reggie was surprised to not see a line for the Sky tram as it was popular among tourists. They waited a few minutes on the platform, neither releasing their grip from one another, before a car arrived. The Weasel released the procyon and opened the door, offering a paw for Sheri. "Such a gentlemammal!" she remarked with a giggle. The mustela tried to smile, but all that appeared was a grimace. His gaze followed the barista until she was safely inside before jumping in and closing the door. In no time the car moved, lifting higher off the ground and living up to its name.

The Weasel found the raccoon leaning against the lip of the car, staring out to the retreating scene below. Reggie wasn't a master of reading mammals like Wilde claimed to be, but even he could see how depressed Sheri seemed. He came up behind her and ran his paws from her shoulders down her arms. The mustela carefully sidestepped the bushy tail of the female, and drew her into a hug.

She leaned back into the lithe mammal and tipped her head back. "For someone with no experience, you sure know how to get a girls blood pumping."

Reggie chuckled and squeezed the raccoon in his arms, "I just did what felt right."

"You have good instincts then..." murmured the raccoon. The swaying of the car caused the embraced mammals to sway as well. It was a peaceful moment that felt as though they were dancing. "I need to tell you the rest...let everything out...We can't keep growing unless there are no more secrets between us."

"I know," whispered the Weasel. He could tell this wasn't an easy decision for Sheri, to reveal so much of her past to him, and he would listen as long as she needed to talk. The mustela bit his lip, wondering when he should reveal his past. "Should I...tell you things as well?"

"I have a feeling that your stories may need some drinking and lots of swearing," the raccoon quietly responded. "So for now, we'll talk about me."

The Weasel nodded and tightened his grip on the barista, as if she might slip through his grasp. "Ok...whenever you're ready."

Sheri sighed and grasped the mustela's paws with her own, "Alright..."

* * *

 _After Brad I gained a...reputation... Someone either found out or Brad told everyone, I never did find out what happened. Either way I started getting the wrong type of attention from males, all expecting me to be an easy lay. The stigma lasted with me all the way through my senior year, and even after I graduated. It got so bad, that I decided to go to the Zootopia Community College branch in the Rainforest District instead of Meadowlands._

 _That's terrible._

 _No, the move was good for me. I didn't realize it, but living around herd mentality_ ** _Gave_** _me the same thinking process. Thankfully being on my own and becoming self sufficient allowed me to grow out of it...but not fast enough...I didn't last long in College, not because I didn't like it or because I failed my classes, but because of one mammal...His name was Chett and he was another raccoon._

 _I'm not going like Chett, am I?_

 _No...Good mammals normally don't. Chett's an ass, who didn't deserve me giving him the time of day. Sadly I gave him more than that. I made the mistake of going to a party that the slime ball was at. He seemed nice, said all the right things and made me feel special again. He supported my idea of owning my own business and preached how more raccoons should become business owners._

 _I would like to point out that I support your idea completely._

 _It's ok Regg, I know. I know you want me to succeed because you care for me. Chett_ ** _Told_** _me that he wanted me to succeed so he could sleep with me...Sadly I still had some of that Meadowlands mentality and fell for his snake oil charm. I went on one date with him, and it was even worse than with Brad. He insulted me instead of compliments, hit on a waitress in front of me and drank too much to drive me back home. It wasn't too big of a deal since I was in walking distance from my apartment, but then the idiot got it in his thick skull to invite himself along! I told him that it was over and to sleep it off in his car, but when I turned to leave he grabbed me by the arm._

 _...What did he do?_

 _It's ok Cutie. That's all he got before I turned around kicked him right in the groin!_

 _That's my girl._

 _*Giggles* Thanks Reggie. I'm still proud of myself for that one too...Thing is that after that night, some rumors started up...just like in High School. This time it didn't take long to figure out who started them. Chett, in his scumbag way, told_ ** _All_** _of his friends how easy I was and what I did to him...it was terrible...It got so bad that midway through my second semester I dropped out. I just couldn't take the stares anymore...It's because of Chett that I carry around the Pepper Spray. Also thanks to him I could no longer see the appeal in male raccoons, so...maybe thank him for that?_

 _Yay?_

* * *

The couple made it to the canopy level, the highest level in the Rainforest District. Reggie had only been up this high a pawful of times. They were above the sprinklers, walking on wooden walkways that rested on some of the tree tops. The midday sun was shining brightly, but the wind cooled the pair. It was a perfect day and the two were enjoying it with paws intertwined. There weren't many buildings outside of expensive residential homes and boutique stores that would put both mammals into debt. Still the view was amazing and it was always free to look.

"Could you imagine me in something like this?" Sheri teasingly pointed to a dress in a window display. It was a thin, sapphire blue number that had holes in the sides and for some reason the navel. Jewels encrusted the low neckline and the dress cut off what would have been mid-thigh for any small mammal.

Reggie hummed in thought, drawing his arm around the female. "Maybe," he eventually replied, "but does that even count as a dress? There's barely anything there." He turned and kissed the raccoon on the cheek, "More like a fancy apron." Sheri snorted with a shake of her head and the mustela grinned. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a pair of eyes glowering back at them from the store window. He turned and looked nonchalantly at a grey squirrel staring at the pair. He didn't need his nose to recognize the look of disgust and mistrust; it was one he was all too familiar with. The rodent pulled something from behind them and placed it firmly at the window. It was a sign that read "Right to refuse service" with the first and last word in bold red.

"It's an ugly apron anyway," commented Sheri. She pulled the male by the paw, "Come on Cutie, we got more to see!"

The Weasel huffed, his fur still not completely down from the Squirrel's speciest behavior. "Is that a nickname for me now?" The question came out gruffer than he intended, but he didn't take it back.

The raccoon bounced a digit on her pursed lips as she looked away in contemplation. "...Maybe? I'm trying it out, what do you think?"

"Just don't say it in front of Wilde," grumbled Reggie, "That's the last thing I need!"

The barista laughed before resting her head on the officer's shoulder. There was a heavy silence, and the mustela knew what was coming next. "It's interesting that you bring up Wilde..."

The Weasel groaned and covered his eyes with his free paw, " ** _Please_** _tell me you didn't date Wilde! I may_ _have_ _to_ ** _Murder_** **him** if he hurt you."

"Please, Reggie, I have standards," the raccoon joked, winking at the Weasel. Her expression fell and her gaze with it. "I did...sort of date...a Fox though..."

"Wasn't Wilde, right?" Sheri nodded curtly, "Then no big deal...unless he hurt you."

The procyon sighed and gripped the mustela tighter, "Not in the way your thinking..."

* * *

 _It was not too long after I left college. I couldn't go back to the Meadowlands, but I didn't know what else to do. So I worked a couple jobs part-time, moving on when it was obvious I wasn't wanted. Eventually I found myself spending more and more of my free time at the cafe from this morning. It was then that I realized how much I enjoyed the atmosphere that I decided to open up my own one day. I met John Topher there, a graduate student from Z.U. studying in Mammalian History. He was also a grey Fox. We never considered it serious, just a way for both of us to release tension...at least that's how it was in the beginning._

 _Did_ ** _He_** _hurt you?_

 _Not in the same ways the Brad or Chett did, and not on purpose either. The more time we spent together, the more I wanted things to be permanent. John never wanted to go that route, he considered himself a free spirit who whose true love was history._

 _He sounds...kinda like a flake._

 _*Chuckles* Very much so. When he got a job outside of Zootopia, he didn't even tell me till the night before…It hurt to have someone think so little of me._

 _Then why go back to the Cafe?_

 _Huh...Oh! I go back because it's independently owned and has been thriving for the past fourteen years. Considering how volatile it can be to own your own business, it's incredible to me that it's stayed open that long! I go there to study what I can and figure out the small things that make them successful._

 _*Chuckles* I should have known better._

 _You'll learn soon enough...Cutie!_

* * *

The pair had skipped lunch, neither feeling hungry, but by the time 5 o'clock rolled around they were starving. On the third level they found what they thought at the time was a small restaurant, but it turned out to be a Smooth Jazz club. The lights were low and food was available, so the Weasel and raccoon got comfortable and listened to the music. It wasn't too long before the mustela noticed the procyon fidgeting, suspiciously to the beat of the music.

"You, uh...wanna dance?" asked Reggie finally.

The raccoon's smile brightened as she grabbed the Weasel by the paw. She pulled him to follow, and he did. The procyon picked a corner close to their table on the dance floor and spun to face the male. "I'm assuming you don't dance." Reggie shook his head. The female flashed a sly smile, "It's ok, just follow my lead. That's all you need to do." She grabbed the mustela's paws, placing one just above her hip and holding on to the other. She placed her free paw on the male's shoulder. "Now step with me."

Sheri stepped left and Reggie stepped right mirroring her as his paws stayed firmly in place. He could feel her fur trying to poke through the fabric of the dress, enticing the male to run his paw to her back. Sheri stepped back and Reggie stepped forward. The raccoon's paw felt so delicate in his own. It wasn't much smaller, and strength similar to the Weasel's paw squeezed back. Still the officer felt if he were drop the paw, or even squeeze too hard, than it would shatter like glass. Sheri stepped right and Reggie stepped left. The female's eyes shone with emotion. The procyon's expressions could easily be read, or was she simply not hiding anything? At that moment they shone with happiness and hope. Reggie stepped backwards and Sheri stepped forward.

The raccoon's smile doubled, "You learn fast."

"I learn slowly," replied Reggie teasingly, "It's why it took you three moves before I figured out my one." The procyon pressed her face into his chest and laughed. The Weasel used the opportunity to move his paw up to the center of the female's back, keeping her close to the male. There was silence as the two swayed in place.

"There were others," muttered Sheri into the mustela eventually, "one's who lasted one date or night, but they happened...honestly I barely remember some."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want too," whispered Reggie into the raccoon's ear, "All that matters to me is that you're right here and in my arms." He heard a sniffle from the female. The Weasel stopped and removed his paw from Sheri's back. The mustela gently tilted the procyon's chin up. She looked at him and he looked at her. Her eyes were misty and gazed uncertain. Reggie wanted to remove that and reassure her. He smiled and she in return. With more ease than the first time, the Weasel pressed his lips to hers.

Passion still burned, but it was not the inferno from their first. That was fine as the couple had all night and neither was in a rush. Reggie slid his paw to the back of Sheri's head, hoping to prolong the kiss. The raccoon gave in to the Weasel and pushed deeper in. They could have stayed that way all night, but the growing desire between the two urged them to head out. The mustela pulled back first, gasping for air but staying close to the procyon. "Do you wanna...?"

"Yes," responded Sheri breathlessly, "Let's go."

* * *

The trip down to Sheri's apartment was a quiet one. Not because of any awkwardness between the pair, but because of first time jitters. Whenever Reggie would turn to the raccoon, intent on starting any conversation, the setting light would hit her fur just right or she would bat her eyes at him. Just like that, the words would dry in the mustela's throat and his face would turn cherry red. He knew this because Shari giggled each time and remarked on one occasion how dark his blush was.

His embarrassment morphed into trepidation as the raccoon's apartment building came into view. It seemed that a common theme in Sheri's stories were regret. Regret that she gave herself fully and openly, yet here she was about to do the same for the Weasel. Reggie didn't want to be another bitter memory. Even if they didn't last, the mustela wanted her to remember him positively like he would remember her. The officer didn't find the words to express this until he was standing outside of her apartment. Reggie placed a paw over Sheri's as she turned the handle. "Wait...just...wait."

The barista turned to the mustela, confused by the turn of events. "What's wrong?"

"Today was amazing," began the Weasel, pulling the held paw away from the handle, "I enjoyed every second with you, but you don't owe me anything."

"Owe you..." muttered the raccoon under her breath, her brow furrowing. In a flash her eyes went wide. "Wait, do you think I'm doing this because we went out?"

Reggie looked away, embarrassment tinting his ears red, "Well...I don't know!" The exclaimed that last part, his paws rising in frustration, "I don't know how these things _**go**_ or what's supposed to happen next! All I know is I don't want you to hate me afterwards!" The words slipped out before he could stop them and the Weasel clamped his jaw shut.

Sheri's brow rose and she folded her arms, "You thought I'd hate you...after sleeping with you?" The pitch of her voice rose as her head tilted in confusion.

"I like you Sher, more than anyone else," started Reggie, trying desperately to express his feelings, "but I don't want you to regret being _**with**_ me, ya know?" His shoulders slumped and expression fell, "You looked so beaten down when you were talking and I don't want to be the next story to tell..."

"Reggie..." the raccoon spoke softly, "Don't take this too harshly, but sometimes you don't think things through correctly."

"Mare just calls me a moron." The Weasel muttered.

Sheri chuckled and shook her head, "Well I hope that our relationship is different than you and your sister's." She gripped the Weasel's paw and gave them an encouraging squeeze. "You don't see _**Any**_ different between you and all the rest?"

"Different species?" offered the mustela weakly.

"Regg," chided the raccoon gently, "it was more than species. Do you think any of them worried what _**I**_ thought or what **_I_** felt?" Sheri smiled sadly and shook her head, "Not even a little...but you," her smile grew into a broad grin and her eyes shone with such passion, "You're having a moral crisis when other males would have kicked the door in!" The raccoon sighed and pulled the Weasel a step closer, "That's how I know that I won't hate you...and..." Her eyes grew misty as she looked into the mustela's "...I hope you're the last and only story I ever tell again." She let out a staccato breath and cleared her throat, "There are words that I want to say to you, words that are **_Very_** important, but I can still see that you aren't ready for them...so please...let me _**show you**_ how much you mean to me."

The raccoon pulled the Weasel closer to the door, him following step by step. Before she could turn and open it, Reggie grasped the handle and turned it, opening to the apartment. He gazed at Sheri, trying to convey all of adoration and affection in that one single moment. "Such a gentlemammal'" she tried to joke, but her voice was thick with emotion. The mustela watched as she gracefully stepped through the doorway, glancing with a half lidded expression. Reggie's heart thumped against his chest as he followed her, closing the door behind him.


	50. Feelings and Fire Fights Part One

"What is love?"

The question was innocuous as it was broad, yet the Fox in the passenger seat look like he had been tasered. He startled, relax posture gone and replaced with a stiffened back and tail puffed out. It was only a moment, but Reggie's glance caught all of it. The Weasel sighed, "Its fine if you don't want to talk about it." The mustela's relationship with Sheri was going well, but something was missing. There would be times where he would look at the raccoon, and this longing would pull at him. Reggie would usually wrap his arms around the procyon or give her a kiss, or something else that she thought was sweet. Sheri would smile, or kiss him or any number of things that made the Weasel's heart pound, but each time it felt like something was left unsaid. This feeling led the young officer to delve deep into what it meant to be in love, only for his ideas to come up terribly short.

"No, no," started Wilde, a paw rubbing his chin, "It's slow enough and well...we've already talked about everything else."

Reggie frowned, his paws resting on the bottom of the steering wheel and a paw tapping on the gas. It had been a month since he first started patrolling full time once more, yet crime seemed to have dissipated. There was still the speeder or domestic dispute to break up, even one call about teens loitering, but it seemed that the hardened criminals had taken the month off. Even the side case of the Warehouse fire the partner's worked off the books didn't seem to have anymore leads. The Weasel was itching to prove himself again, but it didn't seem possible at the moment.

"Don't you have anyone else you can talk to about this?" The Fox hesitantly asked.

The mustela snorted and rolled his eyes, "Who in my family is in a relationship?" He turned to the vulpine officer, "Who out of our co-workers would _you_ want to talk to about this?"

Wilde grimaced, "Clawhauser would die of cuteness overload...Snarlov would give terrible advice...Where **_is_** Grizzoli?"

"Dunno," Reggie replied, "If not I would ask him."

The older officer hummed in thought, rubbing his eyes with his paws. "...Hopps..."

"Which brings me back to you," finished the young officer, "Love lives aren't sprouting up around me."

"I don't know about that," responded the Fox with a smug grin, "I'm not doing badly!" The mustela let Wilde's words quietly sink in. "...Ah damn..."

The Weasel chuckled, "Which brings me-"

"-back to me. I get it. I get it." The vulpine sighed, and then huffed. "This is just...so personal for us."

"I know," Reggie agreed with a curt nod, "Which is why if you don't want too, we don't have too."

"No...No, sounds like you're in a rut and need some help." The young mammal turned to listen to the older officer. Wilde's muzzle opened and closed, his paws gesturing silently as he struggled to find the right words. His eyes went wide and a broad grin broke out, seeming victorious in his mental struggle. Before the vulpine spoke, the cruiser's radio kicked to life.

"All available cruisers respond to possible arson at One, One, One, Two, Five, Napier Lane."

"Oh Hallelujah," muttered the Fox. He cleared his throat and spoke a little too loud, "Looks like duty calls cue, let's get a move on!"

Reggie turned the key in the ignition and switched gears with his paw on the break as the engine roared to life. "You're going to answer my question Wilde," the Weasel warned with a heated glare, "one way or another."

"Hooray..." Wilde let out weakly.

The young officer turned back to the task at paw. "Light 'em up!"

* * *

The partners pushed the twenty minute drive to half that time, the Fox digging his claws into the armrest as the Weasel sped through the street of Savannah Central. Even before they reached their destination, billowing black smoke could be seen in the distance.

"What happened?" whispered the vulpine officer in awe.

Reggie grimaced and tightened his grip on the steering wheel, claws digging into the rubber. The location that had been radioed in had several apartment complexes. Normally calls to them were over someone burning their dinner, but it never caused this much smoke. The mustela pushed the petal to the metal.

When the officers arrived, the Zootopia Fire Department was already on the scene. The firefighters were trying to contain a blaze that engulfed a seven story brick apartment. Smoke poured out of broken windows as flames blazed on the bottom floors. Mammals stood around watching and cars continued to drive by, rubbernecking and slowing traffic. Eventually they stopped, unable to move any further from the congestion. The vulpine grabbed the radio and pushed the call button.

"This is car Fifty Four, we're stuck southbound of the apartment on Napier lane, standing by for further instructions."

"Hey Nick! Sergeant Higgins is on the scene and is directing officers," replied Clawhauser, "Switch over to frequency three A."

"That's a big Ten Four Spots," Wilde drawled with a smug grin, "Me and Smoky will make the switch." He turned to the Weasel, with sly raise of his brow, "Course I'm Bandit!"

"I don't even know what that means." retorted the confused young officer, "Can you just switch over and find out our orders?"

The Fox huffed and muttered something about "uncultured Weasels." He turned the knob to the correct frequency and pushed to talk once again. "This is car Fifty Four for Sergeant Higgins. See you're having a barbeque and decided to swing by."

"Mammals are in the building, Wilde," reproached the Hippo.

Reggie's eyes went wide and he caught a glimpse of Wilde flinching and his ears pinning back.

"...Sorry Sarge won't happen again."

"Don't have time to deal with you anyway. Location?"

"Southbound on Napier Lane, a block down at most, but we're stuck in traffic sir."

"Fine…block off your way, your cruiser should be the only one from that direction. I'll send Fangmeyer and Wolford down on paw when they arrive, copy?"

"Crystal, sir."

"And Wilde?"

The Fox flinched again, hesitant to respond. "...Yes Sergeant?"

"Leave the stand up at home."

"Right, sir." The vulpine hung the radio back up and ran a paw over his eyes.

"You alright?" asked Reggie, turning the engine for the cruiser off.

"I can't believe I made a barbeque joke...," mumbled Wilde, "...I wasn't even thinking."

The Weasel shrugged, "Not your best moment...but you'll bounce back."

The older officer cast a suspicious glance at the younger. "You're being awfully nice, when normally you'd jump at the opportunity to let me have it."

Reggie shrugged again, "I'll lay into after you answer my question." The Weasel grinned wickedly, "And trust me, I'm gonna think of something!" Wilde groaned and rolled his eyes. "Now! Let's focus on clearing the street." The mustela opened his door and slid out. The officers would need to tape off the intersection, clear mammals behind it, and start directing traffic to alternate routes. Looking out through the forest of mammals that were milling about, the young officer had a sinking feeling this wasn't going to be easy.

"Ok..." whispered the mustela, "...just got to convince mammals twice my height and up to listen and get behind an arbitrary line." He rolled his shoulders, "I can do this!" The young officer opened his muzzle to start giving orders, when he paused. He reached behind him and yanked out his baton. "This should help," he muttered as he pressed the baton's button.

"Alright!" shouted Reggie, waving his arms and baton, "Step back! Nothing to see here! Move behind the cruiser!" The Weasel wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was surprised how many mammals listened to his instructions.

* * *

With both of the smaller officers' efforts, they were able to push most of the mammals past the cruiser. When Fangmeyer and Wolford's arrived, they were able to set up some tape and convince the last of the stubborn civilians to back up. The four officers were posted at four points with the tape being hung between two parked cars. The Tiger stood on the right sidewalk facing the crowd and the Wolf on the left. Reggie and Wilde stood between the cars, making sure that no one tried to slip past into a possibly dangerous situation. Eventually the cars ahead of their cruiser were directed through, some of the small mammal cars being directed to the sidewalk to expedite the process. The mustela didn't know much about fighting fires, but it looked as though the Z.P.D. was winning its fight. There was still smoke, but not as thick, and the fire appeared to be dwindling on the bottom floors. Several ambulances and paramedics were on the scene, administering first aid and oxygen to the residents of the building.

Reggie watched the continued drama play out, and couldn't help feeling sullen. These mammals were lucky enough to escape with their lives, but now find themselves homeless and their possessions destroyed. Lives could be rebuilt, but memories were harder to replace. The Weasel's thoughts were interrupted by the change in the wind. It stopped blowing from the north and a gust snuck up from the south. With it came a familiar scent, though one he hadn't smelled since his last fire, Rabbit.

The mustela stiffed, and the breeze disappeared just as easily as it came. He wanted to turn and chase down the lapine, but stopped with gritted teeth. The young officer didn't remember seeing any Rabbits when they first pushed the crowd back, which meant that the suspect may have just joined. Any sudden moves and Reggie could lose his element of surprise. He walked calmly over to his partner, Wilde still surveying the crowd, and stood next to him facing the fire. "Hey Wilde...I smell our Rabbit."

"Pretty weird you're calling Carrots _**Our**_ Rabbit Cue," warned the Fox.

"No!" hissed the Weasel, trying his best not to raise suspicion, "Not Hopps...our _Rabbit_ from the _Warehouse_!" He glanced up at the vulpine and saw an emerald eye fixed onto him from behind aviators. "He's here."

Wilde yawned, arms going up wide as he stretched up. He planted his paws on his sides and stretched back. "Are you sure?" whispered the older officer.

Reggie cracked his neck and folded his arms, "I smell him..."

The Fox straightened up, lazily scratching his chest. "Why don't you go check on Fangmeyer," spoke Wilde a little louder, "See how she's holding up."

The mustela barely nodded before heading in the Tiger's direction. When he arrived at where the feline is, he turned quickly into the crowd. If she saw him, Fangmeyer didn't voice it. The smaller mammal walked forward, slipping between mammals' legs and in between pairs with none the wiser. Reggie knew on an instinctual level that if he was going to catch his quarry, than he would need to get down wind. While Rabbits didn't have the best noses, the mixture of other past Weasel prey and general odors from other citizens played havoc on Reggie's nose. He needed to get higher, above the fog of stench.

The young officer spotted the trunk of a thin tree and grimaced. Weasels could climb, but were no way graceful at it. Still Reggie trudged over to the plant, and dug his claws into the bark. He pulled up, with his hind paw claws digging as well. _"Easier than Rainforest,"_ the mustela thought bitterly, _"Or the Academy for that matter..._ " He continued to climb, latching on with his paws and then shimmy his bottom half up. His belt pulled down and the muscles in his chest burned from the extra weight. Back on the beat Reggie may have been, but he still wasn't in the shape he used to be. Finally he pulled up to a branch that could support his weight.

Reggie smiled triumphantly, looking out onto the crowd, only for his vision to be blocked by the neck of a Giraffe. He couldn't help but frown; all that work and mammals were still higher than him. The Weasel shook his head and tried to focus. Closing his eyes, the mustela breathed in and tried to locate the Rabbit. He breathed in again and again...until finally he caught a whiff. It was faint, but pulled the officer to the right side of the crowd. In that area was a herd of Wildebeest, all wearing running shorts and headbands.

 _"If I were to hide..."_

Reggie slid down the tree, his belt and shirt catching on the bark, and made it to the ground. He moved faster this time, dodging out of mammals with the skill came with living in the city. Before he reached the gathered herd, he stopped and tried to breathe normally. The officer's panting could be heard by a Rabbit, so he needed to calm down. Slowly, the Weasel made his way through the legs of the herd, following his nose as the scent grew stronger. Eventually the mustela saw his prey.

A male Rabbit, no older than thirty five wearing what at first glance looked like a business suit. The black and white of suit would normally suggest middle management, but the burns on the cuffs and soot on the heels of the lapine spoke of other work. The suspect was staring through the herd, to the visible fire of the apartment. He hadn't noticed the sneaking officer with his ears pointed forward.

The Weasel was close, carefully maneuvering through the Wildebeest herd. He was a few feet away, when one of the larger mammals shifted and bumped into him. Reggie stumbled right. "Sorry, Officer," mumbled the herbivore, but the young mammal wasn't looking up. He was looking wide eyed straight ahead into wide, brown eyes. Before the mustela had taken one more step, the lapine bolted.

Reggie chased after, dodging incoming mammals as the buck sprinted away. He could barely see the Rabbit, just the flick of his tail every now and then. The Weasel almost ran under an Elephant's step, but dived out of the way to avoid it. When he rose, head whipping back and forth, there was no sight of buck. The scent was still fresh, with Reggie's heavy breathing sucking a lungful each time. Now it was a matter of luck. He continued to follow his nose. The officer keyed his radio, "This is officer Weaselton. I'm in pursuit of a suspect."

"What's your location?" radioed back Sergeant Higgins.

The Weasel frowned as he looked about, but couldn't find any signs or landmarks to confirm his location. "Unknown," replied the young officer, "I'm south on Napier."

"Affirmative, hold your position till back up arrives."

Reggie stopped dead. His nostrils flared as the scent grew older as indecision caused his hesitation. If the Weasel waited for back-up, than the perp could be long gone, but if he didn't wait, than he would have to deal with a possibly dangerous suspect on his own. The officer's resolve hardened with his gaze. He grimaced as he made his decision. "Coming in broken...repeat your command."

"I said hol-"

Reggie turned off his radio and doubled his pace. He would deal with consequences later.

* * *

The mustela continued to follow the trail as it weaved in and around crowd. It was becoming apparent to the Weasel that the suspect was trying to throw the officer off his trail. This wasn't unusual as the Rabbit was being followed, but did suggest the lapine wanted to stay in the area. Eventually the scent came to an alley with a concrete wall blocking the other end. There were several large dumpsters, over turned cardboard boxes and a mattress leaning against the farthest wall. All of these lend themselves to perfect hiding places for small mammals, and the smell of rotting garbage masked the buck's position.

The young officer brought out his tranq pistol and raised the weapon. He stepped cautiously into the alley. The Weasel glanced about nervously, the fur on his tail standing on end, as he looked for any sign of movement. He breathed deeply and his face scrunched instinctively as the smell of decay filled his lungs. Reggie coughed in the crux of his arm, eyes only closing for a second. He heard a clatter and his head whipped towards the noise just in time for a glass bottle to connect with his muzzle. The young officer staggered into the opposite wall dazed by the blow. A defiant scream followed by a blow to the Weasel's forearm forced Reggie to drop his pistol.

The officer was leaned heavily against the wall, arm still stinging, and brought his other arm up to defend. The Rabbit was armed with an unbroken bottle, the green glass shining in the light, with a vicious glint in his eye. The lapine jumped forward screaming, swinging the bottle overhead at the Weasel.

Reggie rolled right and away from the wall. The sound of shattering glass told him that the buck hit the wall. He stepped right and jumped left, rolling to face his attacker on one knee. The lapine held the bottle by the handle with both paws, like some cheap suit samurai. The young officer held his right arm close to his chest and reached to his lower back. With practiced ease, and quiet gratitude to Snarlov, the Weasel whipped out the baton and extended it in one swift motion. "Sir, you are wanted for questioning for at least two arson fires," spoke Reggie deliberately, pushing down the growing need to smile, "please put down the bottle and come with me peacefully."

The Rabbit threw his head back and laughed, "Looks like you should drop your weapon, _**Officer**_!"

"I can't do that," the mustela retorted, the corners of his mouth twitching, "make this easy and come in quietly."

"Not gonna happen!" shouted the Rabbit. He lunged forward, covering the distance between the mammals rapidly. With the bottle in both paws, he swung from left to right.

Reggie turned sideways, planting his left hind paw and sweeping the right back. He locked his left elbow close to his body and kept the baton ramrod straight in front of him. The improvised weapon made contact with the rod, shattering against the metal. Shards of glass stuck to the Weasel's uniform as he reached with right paw to clasp the handle. With a turn of his hips, Reggie swung the baton into the face of the surprised buck.

Even from a short distance, the pole slammed into the bridge of the lapine's snout. A fountain of blood shot from a nostril as he stumbled backwards. The buck fell flat on his back, his bravado gone as he brought his paws up to his nose and writhed his pain. "You broke my nose!"

Reggie shrugged, panting as he held his right arm close. "Should have made it easy on yourself."


	51. Feelings and Fire Fights Part Two

Reggie had an ice pack to his right forearm and was standing on a stool placed next to the interrogation window. He watched as Zirafa talked to buck, but the Rabbit didn't respond or take the bait. In fact, even after being read his rights, the small mammal didn't even ask for legal counsel. He just sat there, with his paws folded on the table and nose gauzed up, staring straight ahead. "This is one way mirror right?" The Weasel asked to the mammal standing next to him.

"Yes, but that doesn't make it less eerie," remarked Hopps. The Rabbit detective and her partner were picked because of the connection with the warehouse fire and the apartment complex. The doe sighed, "How's your injuries?"

Reggie shrugged, "I've had worse." He glanced at the female. She was staring intently at the interrogation, ears flat with a furrowed brow and a paw on her chin. "You think it's the same guy?"

"Not sure," muttered Hopps, she turned to the mustela, "You said you recognized his smell?" Reggie nodded. She turned back to the glass, "Then he's our guy."

"Do we have any other evidence?"

The Rabbit shook her head, "No, but I trust you."

The Weasel smiled timidly at the doe's words. It was nice to have mammals trust him. The smile turned into a frown as his mind wandered back to his conversation with Wilde. He cleared his throat. "Hopps, uh, would you mind if I asked you a question?"

"What's up?"

"Do you...uh...know what love is?"

The doe's ears shot up ramrod straight and an uncomfortable smile graced her snout. "Wha-Why...?"

"I'm trying to figure out if I love Sheri or not," admitted Reggie as he blushed from embarrassment, "I don't have...experience with this and was hoping to ask someone about it."

The smile disappeared and her brow furrowed once more. "...can't do Snarlov...Clawhauser would be too much...Grizzoli disappeared...huh." The doe smiled confidently, "Ok I get it. I'm assuming you asked Nick?"

Reggie huffed with a scowl, "Still hasn't given me an answer."

Hopps giggled, " _ **I**_ could have told you _**that**_." She cleared her throat and paused. The Rabbit gestured to the mustela, "I think you're asking the wrong question Reggie."

The Weasel frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Well instead of asking something so broad, why not ask this. How does she make me feel?"

The mustela's frown deepened and he cocked his head to the side, "...Good?"

Hopps chuckled and shook her head, "More than that! It can't just be _**good**_!"

"Well I don't know how else to explain it!" exclaimed Reggie, throwing his paws up in the air in frustration, "If I could I doubt I would have this problem!"

The Rabbit hummed in thought, before snapping her digits. "How about an example?" The young officer shrugged. "I'll take that as a yes. Now how does Nick make me feel...?" There was a pause as the doe's eyes became unfocused. A dreamy look came over her and she sighed contentedly, "He makes me feel like I'm the only girl around, maybe even the only mammal. He makes me laugh when I don't want too, holds me close when I cry, and is always there for me. He's my biggest cheerleader, my second strongest critic, and my rock when life gets rough. I wouldn't be where I am without him and all the little things he does for me, and it's why I love him so much." The Rabbit refocused on mustela with a smile, "So yes good!"

Reggie chuckled, "I have no idea how you did that."

"It's simple Reggie. I just reach in here," she poked the Weasel's chest above his heart, "And let it do the rest."

The young officer sighed, "It sounds easy..."

"I know you can do it," reassured Hopps.

The Weasel smiled, and was about to reply, when he spotted a hulking figure stomping towards them. "Oh no..."

Chief Bogo's gaze was locked on Reggie, anger seeping through the Cape Buffalo's glare as his ear twitched every few steps. In no time at all the large mammal towered over the two smaller mammals. He slowly lowered himself down to the Weasel's level, eyes unblinking and pulsing veins visible in his neck and forehead. The herbivore raised a digit when the young officer moved to speak. "You pull a stunt like that again Weaselton," started the Chief gravelly, "And I'll _**Personally**_ clean out your locker. Is that clear?"

Reggie snapped to attention and swallowed dryly, "Yes sir."

"Two weeks unpaid starting now and you _**will**_ be filling in for open shifts." The Cape Buffalo straightened up, and turned to the interrogation room with his arms folded. "Has he talked?"

"No sir," supplied Hopps, "He's been quiet."

The Bull snorted, "Well the clocks ticking. We have forty eight hours or he walks."

"We'll get him sir. Officer Weaselton says he is the one who lit the warehouse on fire as well."

"Do we have proof?"

Reggie grimaced, "...Just my nose sir."

Chief Bogo remained quiet, a hoof resting on his chin. "The initial report stated that his pants were singed...but that's circumstantial at best." The large mammal turned his gaze to the Weasel. "He assaulted you?"

The young officer nodded, "Yes sir, nothing bad just a bruise on my arm and a sore muzzle." Reggie started, but then stopped.

A brow rose on the Chief, "Something else Weaselton?"

"I hate to admit it sir, but he's faster than me and gave me the slip...but he didn't leave the area."

"Could he have been waiting for someone or something?" Hopps questioned.

Reggie shrugged, "It didn't seem it. He also tried to hide not escape, so maybe he messed up something?"

"Sergeant Higgins reported the fire is out," stated the chief, "Officers and the Fire Marshalls are sweeping the area as we speak. If he made a mistake, we'll find it." The Bull glanced around, "Where's Wilde? I feel the need to _remind_ him of proper radio etiquette."

"Nick feels really bad about it Chief!" the doe offered apologetically, "He would never have commented if he knew the situation."

"I'm aware of that Hopps, but that doesn't excuse the behavior." The Cape Buffalo eyed the Rabbit suspiciously, "It _**is**_ interesting that you're defending Wilde and not his assigned partner."

"I told her!" blurted Reggie, "Wilde told me and I told her. Just trying to keep my partner's former partner in the loop." He laughed nervously as the Chief's unwavering gaze landed on the mustela. When the large mammal huffed and looked away, then the Weasel breathed easily.

"That still doesn't answer the question of **_where_** he is."

"Making a few calls," Reggie quickly answered, "He's reaching out to a few contacts about bunny arsonists. I can't imagine there being too many of them."

"There's one that comes to mind," Chief Bogo spoke absentmindedly, "A Rabbit that went by the name 'Lucky Strike.'" The Bull frowned, "Problem is Strike has been active since I was a beat cop and the suspect looks no older than thirty."

"Is it possible he's lucky strike?" posed the doe.

"Anything's possible Hopps…but probable I doubt. The first Lucky Strike case was close to thirty years ago and that would make this buck a kithood arsonist!" He shifted and folded his arms. "Weaselton, go see how Wilde is doing. You may be able to lend a paw. Hopps pull Zirafa out of there; he's only doing harm now."

Both smaller mammals responded with a crisp "Yes sir" and went to the respective tasks.

* * *

Four hours later Reggie stood in front of the interrogation room window once more. It had been a very productive use of time. The Weasel watched once more from behind the glass, but this time with Wilde as Hopps sat across from the buck. She had a manila file in front of her and an evidence bag next to her chair. The young officer leaned closer to his partner and murmured, "So what do you think, slow roll or straight ahead?"

"Carrots isn't one for being patient..." stated Wilde. He winked at Reggie, "...I should know...however this time she's gonna take her time."

The young officer rolled his eyes, "How are you so sure?"

"Because we're thirty seconds in and she hasn't said a word," the vulpine retorted smugly, "Trust me cue, fluff is going to _savor_ this one." Wilde pressed a speaker button for the partners to listen in.

There was an eerie silence in the room, with the buck looking more and more uncomfortable with each passing second. The suited Rabbit shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. He smiled wide and was about to speak when the lapine detective interrupted him.

"Don't do that Mister Starter" interrupted Hopps dryly, "You're just going to insult both of us with whatever terrible pick-up line you had planned." The male Rabbit closed his snout and the female continued the silence.

The vulpine chuckled, "I'm so glad I'm a cop now."

"Because you're helping society and upholding the law?"

"Nope," replied Wilde, popping the 'p,' "Because eventually Carrots would have thrown me in the slammer."

Reggie grimaced, "Yeah..."

"Now Mister Starter," started the doe detective, "A friend of mine has informed me that you go by 'Lucky Strike.'" The buck simply smirked. "We both know you stole that alias from the original Strike and have been trying to use his well established record for your own gain." The female's head cocked to the right, "It didn't work as planned since any mammal who could count knows you're too young to be who you said you were." Hopps shrugged, "Which has you taking any job you can." The detective opened up the file and tilted away from the suspect. "The identification card in your wallet says your name is Blaise Starter." The doe looked up at the buck, "That's the worst fake name I've ever heard."

"Xander Claws is up there," murmured Wilde.

Reggie glared at the smirking Fox, "I didn't choose it!"

"You did keep it though," the vulpine pointed out triumphantly, "and that makes it even worse!"

The Weasel huffed and focused back on the interrogation.

The buck went to speak again, but was cut off once more by Hopps. She waved her paw flippantly, "Please don't lie about how that's your birth name. I arrested the mammal who created your fake I.D. and recognized her work. I'm sure Miss Chepski will be happy to hear that another charge will be leveled against her. Of course sixty four counts of identity fraud will still be less time than what you're facing." The male again moved to speak, but the female held up a paw. "I'm not finished Mister Starter." She reached down and brought up the evidence bag. The doe slowly opened it, the sound of plastic ripping echoed in the deadly silent room. "Your arresting officer was confused as to why you didn't flee the scene," continued Hopps as she reached into the bag, "Of course now it makes sense." The doe held a set of keys above the table and jingled them lightly. "You lost your keys."

"What a moron," grumbled Reggie, " _ **How**_ do you lose your keys when you're running from a crime?"

"I once lost mine after a hustle gone badly," replied Wilde, "had to break into my apartment that night." He chuckled and shook his head, "I'm just glad no one called the cops on me."

"You can't prove their mine," Starter sneered, "They could be anybody's keys."

"That's a terrible rebuttal," groused the Weasel.

"You're not wrong cue, granted he _is_ a moron."

"These keys were found in a dumpster a block away from the apartment fire," retorted the detective, "Next to three empty cans of paint thinner, a bag of old rags and a tarp with several holes in." Hopps chuckled derisively, "I'm guessing it's your attempt at some form of fire protection that failed miserably." The doe placed the keys back in the evidence bag and placed it slowly back down next to her chair. "So we have means, motive, and I _**will**_ prove opportunity, covered." The female clasped her paws and leaned forward on the table, "There's only one thing that can save you from spending the rest of your life in prison."

The buck's ears fell back, realization overtaking his smug features. He cleared his throat and rolled his head on his shoulders. "I can...uh...give you the names of the mammals that hired me."

Hopps sighed contentedly and leaned back into her chair, "Was that so hard?"

"That was amazing," Reggie commented, thoroughly impressed with the detective.

Wilde chuckled as he turned off the speaker, "Fluff can very persuasive."

"So what now?"

The Fox hummed in thought, a paw rubbing his chin, "I say we talk to Carrots and get the keys from her. We can check out wherever he lives while she tracks down the names."

The young officer folded his arms, "A bit of grunt work, isn't it."

The vulpine smirked, "You're still a rook cue, which means getting dirty till you're not."

"Thank you Captain Obvious," quipped Reggie.

"That's _Officer_ Obvious to you!" retorted Wilde. He nudged the young officer before hopping off the stool, "Now come on Q-Tip. Go start the cruiser and I'll grab the keys from Carrots!" The vulpine reached up and tugged the interrogation door open. Wilde gasped mockingly, paws covering his muzzle, "Is that _**The**_ 'Lucky Strike?'...No, it must his brother 'Burn Out.'" He closed the door.

The Weasel shook his head. Wilde was going to tease the suspect mercilessly.

* * *

The two officers arrived at Franklin Burrows, the real name of their suspect, address. It was in the southern section of the Meadowlands, close to the border of Savannah Central. Like the rest of the district, there was green grass and rolling hills. Unlike what the Weasel had heard about the area, the buck's address was located in a more urbanized section.

"So...the laundromat?" asked a confused Reggie.

"On top cue," chuckled Wilde, "weren't you born in the city?"

"Well yeah...but I never thought of Meadowlands as the city."

"Just because it _**looks**_ like the burbs doesn't make it that," chided the Fox. He pointed out an open spot, "Park and let's get this over with."

The Weasel nodded, pulling into the parking spot. The sun was beginning to set and neither officer's had started on their paperwork. Reggie grimaced, _"Looks like a late night tonight..."_ The mustela parked and turned off the cruiser. "You got the warrant?"

"Ready for delivery," replied the vulpine, flourishing a folded paler, "got the keys too." The officers exited the vehicle and headed for the outside metal staircase that led to the apartment. "Bet he's got at least one self help book."

"Mister Confident?" Reggie glanced at the Fox before looking forward and grinning, "I'll take that bet. Morning drinks?"

Wilde scoffed, "What else are we gonna bet? Money?" The older officer laughed and threw an arm around the Weasel, "We're cops Q-Tip, so all we _**have**_ is our morning coffee."

"Alright stop whining," grumbled the mustela, "let's go so you can lose already."

Reggie glanced inside the laundromat and saw a bored looking ferret sitting behind the counter, reading a newspaper. The other mustela glanced up and looked at the young officer, but then returned back to his paper. The officers climbed the metal stairs to the apartment, a white weather beaten wooden door greeting the two.

Wilde retrieved the keys from his pocket and slipped them into the lock. "Step back cue, we don't know if our angry arsonist left a present for intruders." Reggie nodded and stepped down a few steps. The vulpine turned the handle and pushed the door open, letting it swing on its own. The door creaked as it opened, finally coming to a stop as it bounced off the interior wall. The older officer stepped forward tentatively, his eyes bouncing around the apartment.

The Weasel followed behind, the smell of Rabbit smacking his nose, keeping distance between the two as he tried to look for any traps. The apartment was wide open as very little furniture was in the living room. A recliner sat in the middle of the room across from a television on a small entertainment system. Two large windows that looked over the street blinds were closed, with the orange rays of the setting sun peeking through. The air felt thick and hotter than the outside, letting . Reggie huffed as he approached the middle of the room cautiously. There were papers and trash scattered about the floor, as though the occupant didn't care about maintaining the place. "Wilde," the mustela stage whispered over his shoulder, "Over here!"

A cord led from the recliner down and disappeared into a trash pile. The young officer stepped closer, looking down and trying not to step on anything. He glanced to his right and saw Wilde approaching slowly towards the recliner as well. Reggie slowly peered past the armrest and to the seat. He let out a relieved sigh, paw going to his racing heart when he saw it was attached to a laptop. "Oh ticks, I thought it was a bomb!"

"I want to make fun of you," commented Wilde, "But let me have my heart attack first."

Reggie laughed as his partner rested his paws on his thighs and doubled over. "Haven't you had worse happen with Hopps?"

"Yes, but that doesn't make it any easier," retorted the panting Fox. The vulpine sighed heavily and straightened up, "Ok…keep searching and I'll check out the laptop."

A brow rose on the Weasel, "We don't have the password."

"Have no fear!" exclaimed the older officer with a raised digit, "I can crack it!"

Reggie rolled his eyes, "Have fun, I'm going to do something worthwhile and keep looking around." The young officer left his partner to play with the laptop. The tension from entering earlier was gone, but that didn't make the Weasel any less cautious. There were two doors, one opened and the other closed, left in the apartment. The opened revealed a dingy bathroom, just as dirty as the rest of the suspect's place. The mustela grimaced at the foul smell and held his breath as he looked about the bathroom. Thankfully the search wasn't too long, but Reggie couldn't get out of there fast enough. "Nothing in the bathroom," the young officer shouted through gasping breaths. His panting continued as he approached the closed door.

The Weasel opened the door, letting it swing open on its own before entering the revealed bedroom. Surprisingly the bedroom was much cleaner than the rest of the apartment. He looked under the bed, in the closet, and the only end table next to the bed. Reggie couldn't a groan escaping him when he found the book in the end table. The title read "How to Stop worrying and Start using the Power of Positive Thinking." The young officer heard the older one laugh, "Found one?" The mustela shook his head and put the book back. He looked about once more, but shook his head with a sigh. There didn't seem to be anything of interest in the apartment. Reggie went back out to his partner. "How's the hacking?"

The Fox glanced at the Weasel with a _very_ smug expression, "Too easy."

The Weasel gaped at the home screen of the laptop, "But how!?"

"Elementary my dear Q-Tip!" quipped the tod, "I use my birthday for my password, and guessed that he would do the same."

"So how did you know?"

"I didn't."

Reggie balked, "So you simply **_guessed_** that he used his birthday as his password!?"

"One hundred percent."

The mustela pinched the bridge of his muzzle and sighed through gritted teeth, "I hate you sometimes."

"You're lying and you know it!" Wilde cockily replied, "Besides, you'll love me once you see what I found."

Reggie leaned closer to the laptop, "Paper trail?"

"Even better!" The Fox clicked on an unnamed folder on the home screen. It opened revealing different files titled with dates. The older officer clicked on the most recent file and a PDF opened.

The Weasel squinted as he tried to read as fast as possible, his eyes growing wide with each paragraph. "This is a contract!"

"Seems 'My Little Arsonist' preferred keeping his files in order…but not the rest of his life."

"Are there any future contracts in here?"

"No, but look." The vulpine minimized the folder and PDF and dragged the cursor over to a Sticky Note program on the computer. He maximized the note and flourished with a paw to the screen. "We have a few addresses."

Reggie grinned, "Alright, let's give them to Hopps and call it a night!"

"Hold on," Wilde interjected, paws raised defensively, "We're already working well into tomorrow with all the paperwork we have to finish, why not knock some addresses off the list?"

"What do you mean?"

The Fox smirked, "We scout out some of the places, get some info, and help our dear detectives in tracking down the evil mammals who hired our litter bug. Everyone wins!"

Reggie's brow rose, "And we give a paw to your girlfriend?"

"She would have figured it out on her own and we both know that!" defended Wilde hotly. The vulpine closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He opened them and smiled weakly, "Come on cue. It won't take long."

The Weasel huffed and folded his arms, looking away from his partner. He glanced back to see Wilde staring expectantly at the mustela. "Fine," Reggie grumbled, glaring at the vulpine, "but we're going to make this **_Quick_**! I was hoping to get back home before midnight."

Wilde smiled confidently, "Don't worry cue, this won't take long at all."


	52. Feelings and Fire Fights Part Three

"So that was number three," Wilde said, "and I'm even happier we stopped this guy. Who would want to burn down a school?"

Reggie remained silent. They had arrived at Meadowlands Elementary from visiting a tech business of some kind. The vulpine was regaling the mustela with "a friend of a friend" tale and how said friend lit his failing business on fire for insurance when the school came into view. It sobered the mood instantly and the officers didn't bother getting out of the cruiser to gather information. The Weasel caught Nick writing a note on his pad next to the address.

"Looks like we're finally leaving civilization," joked the Fox.

The Weasel remained quiet. The officers were heading north and buildings had plenty of space between them. Some of the buildings looked like stereotypical farm houses, but others were mansions that dominated the open fields. It was a clear divide between those who lived a life of luxury and those who scraped by. The mustela shifted in his seat and glanced down at the clock. It was a few minutes till midnight and they weren't halfway done. "Hey Wilde," started Reggie as he glanced at his partner, "I know you wanted to get this list done, but they're so spread out it's gonna take all night. Can we just call it a night?"

The vulpine sighed, "Yeah ok. You've been a good sport indulging me." He groaned and stretched out, "I just don't like being home while Carrots is still working. It doesn't feel right."

"Do our paperwork then," Reggie generously offered, "That way you can stay at the office and I can go home."

Wilde chuckled, "So _**magnanimous**_ of you Q-Tip! Letting me do all **your** paperwork. Nope! If I'm stuck till three in the morning, then so are you!"

The young officer shrugged as he focused on the road, "Worth a shot."

"And what a terrible marksmammal you are!"

Reggie huffed and glared at his partner, "We almost there?"

"That's what Zoogle Maps is saying...take the next left and it should be on our right."

The young officer followed the directions, turning left at a quiet four way intersection. He slowed down as both officers tried to see the house number through the darkness.

"Got it," murmured Wilde, "The single with no lights on."

Reggie's night vision wasn't as defined as his partner's, so he trusted the vulpine and pulled up in front of dark house. He frowned as he tried to make out some of the features of the building. He could make out shuttered windows and an unkempt yard with a mailbox almost falling off the front of the house. "Looks abandoned."

"Wait till you get closer cue. It looks even worse than abandoned, like a tornado blew through."

The Weasel hummed in thought, "Who would want this dump burned down?"

"Beats me," The Fox grabbed the radio and pressed the call button. "This is P One Five Four, how do you copy us P three?"

"Loud and clear," a voice groused back, "Just like the last two times."

"Such customer service…" Wilde muttered sarcastically. He smiled and spoke back into the radio, "Third time's a charm. Have us at seven, seven, three four two Elm street."

"Copy that, check in?"

Reggie saw the vulpine glance at him before he responded, "Give us ten minutes."

"Can't wait, P three out."

"Remind me to write a glowing review of Precinct Three tomorrow," remarked the older officer, "Alright cue, let's go find something." He opened his door and slid out.

"Other than my chances for tetanus and stepping on glass?" grumbled the mustela. Reggie exited the cruiser and made his way around the front of the vehicle. "What do we even look for around here?"

The vulpine hummed as he looked towards the broken down house, "I'm guessing real estate agent who can't find a buyer, so is having it burned down to sell off the land."

"Seems like a lot of work."

The older officer glanced down at the younger with a smirk, "If it was easy, they wouldn't have tried to hire a professional." The Fox set off, not bothering with a flashlight as he traversed the overgrown yard.

Reggie went the opposite direction of his partner. He pulled out a small paw light but kept it off as he would only need it for clearing up details. The officer walked along the side of the house, glancing around as he slowly made his way to the back. He wondered who lived in the old home. There wasn't much of note, but every now and then Reggie would hear movement. The Weasel assumed it was Wilde trying to mess with him and huffed in frustration as rustling grew louder when he neared the back of the house. "Ha ha Wilde," started the mustela as he rounded the back, "Very fun..."

The vulpine was standing in the back, but he wasn't alone. A larger figured stood behind Wilde, crouched low but not fully covered. The Fox was nervous, his ears pinned back and no smile or smirk. "Someone lives here..." the vulpine tried to joke.

"Quiet pelt," commanded the raspy voice of the figure, "Or I'll add anotha hole to ya head!"

"Cue," the vulpine began, "he's got a gun."

"I said _quiet_!"

Reggie moved his paw slowly down to his holster, trying to not draw the mammal's attention. His paw rested on his tranq pistol before the mammal reacted.

"Hey! Stop dat!" shouted the shadowy figure, "Don't move anotha inch!"

"Ok," replied the Weasel softly, bringing the paw not resting on the tranq in front of him, "Let's take it easy now, no reason for rash decisions." He stepped forward, trying to make out more concrete details of the suspect. The larger mammal appeared to have small horns that curved back and was easily a head taller than Wilde. The smell of sweat and filth filled the air between the mammals. The Weasel grimaced, pushing down the urge to vomit from the cocktail of scents.

"What can I do to have you let go of my partner?" The young officer couldn't help but wish the two partners roles were reversed. Reggie would bet money on Wilde talking a suspect down, but felt ill-prepared for performing the same task.

The probable herbivore hesitated, obviously not expecting the question. "I want a million dolla's an a getaway vehicle an a bubble bath with an unmarked sammich!"

Reggie froze with his muzzle agape at the demands. Eventually the mustela shook out of his stupor. "...Ok...I can, uh, see what I can do...but I'm going to need a show of good faith."

"Hey cue."

"All of those things are gonna take some time to get and I personally have no idea what an unmarked sandwich is."

"Q-Tip."

Reggie ignored his partner and stayed completely focused on the armed suspect, "I'll admit that these demands sound pretty unreasonable-"

"He asked _**because**_ they're unreasonable," Wilde bluntly interrupted "It's a diversion."

"Diversion for..." Reggie spun right, paw pulling his pistol to bear at the possible accomplice. A sharp blow to his muzzle caused the officer to stumble before a much larger mammal tackled him.

"I got'em, I got'em!" bleated the Weasel's captor triumphantly. The second mammal was a Goat with brown fur from his neck up, with white fur peeking out from his shirt collar. His horns were similar to the other herbivore's with one curving back, but the left horn curved forward and to the left. The rancid smell of the caprid stung the young officer's eyes and choked him as much as the extra weight.

"Atta boy!" called out the other herbivore, "Now grab his pistol!"

Reggie struggled to break free of the Goat, but the sized difference kept the Weasel pinned as the caprid grabbed the dropped tranq pistol.

"I got it!" exclaimed the Goat, waving the pistol about.

"Good, now put that Weasel out!"

The herbivore turned back to the mustela and shrugged, "Sorry."

"No wait!" cried out a wide eyed Reggie. He brought his arms up to protect him, but it was a futile effort as the officer winced in pain from a sting in his shoulder. The Weasel glanced over to see a dart sticking out of him. He slowly turned back to the Goat, vision losing focus and growing heavy, and said his only thought. "Rutt..."

* * *

Reggie slowly woke, groaning as he tried to raise his head. The young officer was unsuccessful, too groggy to move as his head lolled left and right. Eventually the Weasel opened his eyes to his new surroundings. He was in an unlit room, with no furniture in sight. The wooden floors appeared to be rotted through and were littered with empty bottles and cans. Two windows across from the officer were boarded up with an old brick fireplace in between. Worst of all was the mixture of decay, smoke, alcohol and somehow burnt urine. The mustela tried to move, to get away from the smells and room and just go home. He froze when his arms wouldn't budge.

The officer's heart raced as he glanced to his arms. The Weasel gasped at the sight of his arms tied to a wooden chair. "No..." Reggie whispered as his panic rose.

"Oh good you're awake," spoke Wilde from behind, "You had been groaning for awhile, and wasn't sure-"

" ** _No_**!" Reggie cried, desperately yanking at the old rope that tied his arms down, "No, no, no, **_no_** , _no_! _**Not**_ _ **again**_!?" The Weasel struggled against his binds as tears formed. "I can't do it again!"

"Che what's happening?"

"They're gonna break me Wilde! I can't take it all again. They're gonna break me and then I'm dead! I don't wanna _**die**_!?" Reggie pinched his eyes closed and gritted his teeth. Hot tears formed in the corners of his eyes. The ropes felt tighter and tighter with each passing second and the young officer was having trouble breathing. It was just like with Skaal. Reggie would be tortured until broken, and only then would he be put out of his misery.

"Hey listen to me," spoke the Fox softly, "We're not going to die. This isn't like last time." The words were confident, yet the Weasel was fearful. "First off Weaselton, you got me! That makes this _**entire**_ situation eighty two percent better."

Reggie sniffed, "Eighty two?"

The vulpine chuckled, "Wanted to make sure your paying attention. It's actually one hundred percent better with me. Remember we have a check-in time as well."

The Weasel breathing was staccato, but his nerves were slowly calming. He nodded curtly, "Ok...we missed the check-in...Do you think they're looking for us?"

"I can't see why not," Wilde replied confidently,, "So why don't we pass the time a bit, eh Q-Tip? We could about sports, or the weather, maybe catch up on the latest office gossip...Oh! You figure out the answer to your question yet?"

Reggie breathed in and out slowly, "Really? Now?"

"Well I'm not a huge fan of sportsball, the weather is usually stable because of weather walls and you're not Clawhauser so no gossip...so yeah, personal life. Go."

Reggie tried to huff in annoyance, but it came out as a sigh. "...I talked to Hopps."

"And what did my favorite grey fluff have to say?"

The Weasel closed his eyes, trying to focus on the conversation, "She, uh, said that I was asking the wrong question." He breathed in and out. "She said to ask myself how Sheri makes me feel." The young mammal heard wood creaking behind him and a soft grunt from the vulpine.

"Carrots can always get to the _heart_ of a problem," Wilde joked, his voice strained, "So what's your answer?"

"All I have is good."

"Hmm, well that won't do."

Reggie tried to look over his shoulder, but the back of the chair was too high, "What do you mean?"

"I have two questions for you cue. One, do you trust our favorite raccoon? Two, do you feel safe with her?"

The Weasel frowned, trying to figure out where the vulpine was going with this. He eventually nodded, "Yes."

"Yes what?" There was once again the sound of wood groaning and Wilde's voice was tense.

"Yes I trust her," Reggie spoke with conviction, "And yes I feel safe with her." He tried once more to turn to see what the Fox was up too. "What **_are_** you doing?"

The older officer panted, "Gimme a sec and you'll see!" He sounded tired. "Ok, so you feel safe and trust her. Other than your family, is there anyone else you feel that way?"

Reggie shrugged, forgetting his binds till they cut into his arms. "No not really. Being with Sheri feels...good..." He leaned back into his chair, "Why can't I think of any other words?"

"Well safe and trusting are two adjectives to go with good. I think...hold on..." There was the sound of wood cracking and a soft thud.

"Wilde? Are you alright?"

"Oh I'm peachy," commented the Fox as he stepped into view with a triumphant smirk, "A little dusty, slightly peeved and grateful that tomorrow we'll only be filling out paperwork!"

The Weasel sighed in relief, "I'm looking forward to it too...but first," Reggie flexed his digits, " _Please_ get me out of this!"

"I gotcha Weaselton." The Fox unsheathed a claw and began cutting the ropes.

The officers remained silent as Reggie's gaze stayed focused on the claw. Wilde moved with careful precision, choosing each piece thoughtfully. With the final cut, and the Weasel finally free, Reggie scampered away from his prison. He rubbed his arms and wrists while casting venomous glares at the chair. "Thanks," the young officer mumbled absentmindedly, "I owe you." He looked past the wooden nemesis and saw Wilde's chair collapsed and splintered with coils of rope around it. "How did you..."

"Normally I would say something witty like 'A magician never reveals his secrets,' but to be perfectly honest the whole thing was rotten. How those MIce and Male rip-offs didn't realize that I have no idea." The older officer stepped closer to the mustela, his Emerald gaze sweeping over his partner, "You alright?"

"Yeah," Reggie muttered, casting one more glance at the chair, "I'm fine."

"No you're not," replied the vulpine, exhaustion written all over his muzzle, "but we can't address it now." He smirked and in a flash his expression changed, with the worn Fox replaced by the hustler turned cop. "Alright!" Wilde exclaimed, "time to herd some Goats!"

* * *

Reggie was on all fours, hugging the rotting wall on his right. The officers had stealthily left their confined quarters and silently made their way through the house. Why the two Goats hadn't heard Wilde breaking the chair was because they were on the other side of the house. What worried Reggie was the lack of gear. They even removed his baton. The plan was simple, Reggie grabs the gear and Wilde creates a diversion.

The Weasel grimaced as he maneuvered around a dead roach. He may have eaten bugs, but stepping on one covered in dust seemed too disgusting. The young officer could still make out the muffled voices of the two herbivores, chatting away about something just low enough for him not to be able to make out properly. The mustela came to an opening in the wall, an artificial white light pouring out of it.

"You decide what we gonna do with those cops?"

Reggie held his breath and listened.

"I dunno yet...probably kill'em."

The Weasel moved closer to the hole, desperately trying to peek through. He saw both caprids, sitting around a beat up battery powered lantern. They were eating out of cans, spoons scraping the tin, sitting on overturned crates around the lantern. Lying between the two caprids were familiar looking duty belts. He flinched when one of them tossed their can over their shoulder and in his direction. It bounced harmlessly on the ground before rolling towards the hole.

"But boss, won't tha cops be afta us then?" asked the younger of the two Goats.

The older shrugged, picking up a new can and tearing off its top, "Probably…but by tha time that they find'em, we'll be loooong gone!"

"I'd have to disagree!" exclaimed Wilde. The older officer walked into the light and the herbivores jumped to their hooves. The vulpine smirked and held his paws up defensively, "No reason to get jumpy! Can't your friendly neighborhood Fox cop stop by and say hi?"

"How'd you escape?" bleated the older Goat as he stepped aggressively around the lantern.

"Ah, ah, ah!" chided the vulpine as he waved a digit at the Goats, "A magician never reveals his secrets!"

Reggie tentatively pushed through the opening. It would be too small for many other officers, but was just a tight fit for him. He maneuvered his arms through first, followed slowly by his head and shoulders. The mustela's eyes went wide when a chunk of drywall caught on his uniform and fell to the floor.

"What was-" began the younger Goat, turning to look behind him.

"Would you fine gentlemammal's like to hear a joke?" interrupted Wilde, his voice quivering slightly, "What do you call a three hum-"

"No jokes!" commanded the older Goat, "You're going to tell me how you escaped now!"

"Or, I could tell you a riddle?" offered the vulpine with paws wide and a winning smile.

"Oh come on boss!" whined the younger herbivore, "You're gonna kill'em anyway! Might as well hear'em out!"

The older officer's mouth twitched and his ears flicked back for a second before staying up. "Yeah come on, one little riddle won't hurt." Wilde emphasized this by creating a miniscule gap between two digits.

The "Boss" huffed and folded his arms, "Fine…but it better be a good one!"

Reggie let out a silent sigh as he pulled the rest of the way through the hole. The next dilemma was there was nothing to hide behind. The young officer could sprint as fast as possible and hope to beat the Goat's reacting next to their gear, or sneak as quietly as possible. The Weasel stepped tentatively, dodging discarded cans.

"Alright," began the former con with a flourish, "What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?"

"Oh, oh a fish!" exclaimed the younger caprid.

"Nope!"

"I met a groundhog with no arms an legs," mulled the older caprid, "You talkin' about him?"

"Afraid not," replied the Fox with a shake of his head. He urged them on, waving his paws, "You two definitely have more guesses than that!"

The Weasel quickened his pace, staying light on his paws as he closed the distance to their equipment. He could just make out a tranq pistol's handle sticking up. It looked like Wilde's hair larger pistol, but Reggie could use it with both paws. The young officer glanced nervously at the Goats, hoping they remained fixed on his partner.

"Give up?" goaded the vulpine.

"I got it, a rubber duck!"

"No you moron, an onion!"

"No it's gotta be…"

Reggie's focus was completely on the pistol. The caprids hadn't heard him thanks to Wilde's showmanship, now he had to fulfill his end of the bargain. The Weasel was an arm's length away from his objective. _"Just a little further…"_

"What the…!"

The young officer acted instinctively and dove for the pistol. He grabbed the pistol and landed on the ground with a grunt. The Weasel spun around with the weapon, belt flying off of it, towards the older Goat. "Freeze!" The shocked herbivore raised his hooves. Reggie panted as he swung the tranq pistol between the two caprids. "Wilde?"

"Play's times over kits! You know the drill, on your knees and hooves behind your head."

Reggie stood, pistol still bouncing between the two suspects, as the vulpine calmly walked to the pile of equipment. He took his time putting his belt back on, buckling it back into place. The Fox sighed as he reached behind his back and pulled out a pair of cuffs. "I didn't realize how much I'd miss this old belt till it was gone." The Fox moved to the younger Goat first, pulling his arms down and putting on the restraints. "A penny."

"What?"

"The answer to the riddle," continued Wilde with a wry grin, "Was a penny."

"Onion's better…" grumbled the boss.

* * *

Back-up arrived eventually. A shift change, and a misreading of a seven to a one, led toPrecinct Three responding in full force to a retirement home at 17342 Elm street. Wilde couldn't stop laughing, joking how the old folks wouldn't need prunes for awhile. Reggie was not amused. The two Goats were arrested and taken in by Precinct Three. The Weasel and Fox didn't argue, they had more than enough paperwork.

It was the paperwork that had Reggie dragging his tail from the Precinct to Snarlbucks. To be precise, the pressing need to have arrest reports and accompanying documents in the system and ready for processing that had the Weasel trudging through the dark streets. The partner's had been working from when the returned to Precinct One around two until few minutes before six when they agreed to take a break. Both tried to stomach the Precinct's coffee, but the idea of perfect drinks from the mustela's favorite procyon was too much to pass up.

The young officer pulled the handle to the cafe, but it wouldn't budge. He blinked as he looked in to see Sheri standing behind the counter with the Goat manager whose name escaped the Weasel. He blinked again and the manager had teleported from behind the counter to the door. Reggie shook his head and let his arm drop. He watched as the herbivore unlocked the door and opened it for the mustela. "You know I arrested two Goats today," mumbled Reggie awkwardly.

"Um...ok," replied the confused caprid with a tilt of his head, "I hope you're alright."

The Weasel shrugged, "They took me and my partner hostage, but we freed ourselves."

The Goat opened his snout, but closed it and walked away and through the double doors leading to the back.

Reggie continued his journey to the counter, and smiled weakly at the worried looking raccoon behind the counter. "Hey pretty," slurred the exhausted mustela as he leaned on the counter, "How's it going?"

"Are you alright Regg?" whispered the concerned barista, she leaned closer to the Weasel, "You sound...drunk."

The Weasel shook his head empathically, "Nope! Just haven't slept since yesterday. How about you?"

"Worried about you. Why didn't sleep...or shower?"

"Weeellll," drawed out the young officer, "The day started out boring, but I was thinking about what love is. Wilde deflected my question like he always does. There was a big apartment fire, it was probably on the news, that we responded too. I caught the scent of a Rabbit who started _another_ that almost killed me and Wilde, so I followed it till I found him. He put up a fight, definitely bruised my arm and I broke his nose in return. We then interrogated him, but failed at first, but succeeded later and then went to his apartment. The guy doesn't like cleaning and Wilde guessed his password, so we got a list of places. Wilde convinced me to check them out, we did, but then we got captured by some drifter goats. I freaked out and Wilde broke a chair, and then he distracted them with a penny riddle and I did a roll to grab his pistol."

Sheri's muzzle was hanging open, her eyes wide with shock. "How...wha..."

"Oh, and I think I'm in love with you." The raccoon gasped, but Reggie barely heard it and didn't acknowledge it. "I've been thinking about it for awhile." The Weasel sighed heavily and leaned his elbows onto the counter. He rested his head into his paws, "I wish I could say that I love you definitely...that what I feel for you is one hundred percent love...but I don't know." He raised his head and looked directly into Sheri's brown eyes, "What I do know is I trust you more than anyone, feel safer around you than I've been in a long time, and honestly if you were to pet me right now I would pass out in your paws." The Weasel groaned as he straightened up, "So Sheri Ringtail, I think I love you. I think I love you a lot."

Sheri smiled brightly, her eyes growing misty, "Well Reginald Weaselton, I think love you a lot too."

Reggie grinned, bigger than any before it. He chuckled as the stress that had built in him slowly faded away. There was something liberating about saying those words that the mustela didn't expect, and the way his heart raced when she said it back was new too. The Weasel sighed contentedly, feeling much more energetic than a moment ago, but he knew he still needed caffeine. "Sorry for asking this..."

"Oh," the barista blinked, "Oh not at all!" She scratched behind her ear with an embarrassed smile, "I kinda forgot where I was." She clapped her paws together, "So! Your usual my handsome Weasel?"

Reggie blushed, "Uh no. Wilde said I should have a heart attack today...make it two actually since he wants one as well."

Sheri's brow rose, "That's a almond milk cappuccino with four shots of espresso and three packets of sugar."

The mustela frowned, head bobbing side to side, "Make it five shots...and we'll probably need a refill for lunch too."

The raccoon blew out a hot breath and shrugged, "Ok, but I'm gonna be cross with you if you die from it!"

Reggie smiled as he leaned back on the counter, goofy grin on his muzzle as he watched the procyon work. "Hey Sheri," he called out as her back was turned to him, gaze fixed on her tail as it swished back and forth with each little move.

"Hmm?" She hummed back, focused on the task at paw.

The Weasel felt a giddiness overtake him. He couldn't tell if it was sleep deprivation, relief from saying those words, or the joy he normally felt when he was with the raccoon. All Reggie knew was that he didn't want the feeling to disappear. The words came out with no forethought, no fear of rejection or pain from the mammal who had taken residence in his heart. There was only hope and wonder for what future lay before them. "I think I love you."


	53. Smooth Finish

The digital clock on the cell phone read 3:14 am. The lime green light from the clock was the brightest source of illumination in the room. The only window to the room was uncovered, but the lights from outside were muffled by the foliage of the Rainforest District. Underneath the window was a dresser, from ITREEYA and with only three drawers, supported an old fashion analog alarm clock complete with ringing bells. A bed was in the middle of the room with his head up against a wall and a mammal resting peacefully on it. Two end tables flanked the bed on each side, but up until recently only one had ever been used fully. On the opposite wall of the window was a closed door and just left of the door was an open closet. Across from the bed was another closed door, with a rack hanging off of the back of it. The floor had several articles of clothing scattered about, the inhabitants not caring where they landed, but other than that it was clean of clutter.

All of this had been observed the first time Reginald C. Weaselton ever stepped through the doorway, but never appreciated till that moment. Of course he learned a long time ago to appreciate things differently at this hour of the morning. The Weasel was finishing a set of crunches, his second of thirty, when the analog clock chimed off. Reggie smirked as he heard his girlfriend shift in bed. She groaned and rolled off the bed, slowly making her way to the ringing clock. "Morning!" the mustela greeted.

Sheri mumbled something incoherently as the procyon stopped the ringing clock. She yawned and stretched her arms wide. The raccoon turned and blinked at the Weasel working out at the end of the bed. "Reggie?" whispered Sheri, blinking and rubbing her eyes, "What are you doing up?"

The mustela rested with a sigh, laying flat on the black and white frieze carpeting. He scratched his bare chest with a grin, "Just getting a quick workout in."

The raccoon sat on the edge of the bed, eyes still heavy with sleep, "How long you been up?"

Reggie shrugged, "I dunno, maybe a half hour? I couldn't sleep anymore."

"But you did sleep?" Sheri cautiously asked, seeming to become my cognizant.

The young officer's grinned turned to a grimace, "Yes I did. It was five hours...but it was enough." The first few nights he slept at Sheri's had been difficult. As comfortable as the Weasel felt being in the raccoon's apartment, he felt that anxious trying to sleep there. The worst was the second night when Reggie woke up drenched in sweat and Sheri nervously watching him. Apparently he had been tossing and turning violently. The mustela couldn't look her in the eye the next morning. Still Sheri did everything in her power to make Reggie comfortable, and there had been nights where neither of them had slept.

"Any nightmares?" the procyon probed, rubbing her eyes with her paws.

Reggie propped himself up on his elbows and shook his head, "No, just anxious about today." Today was the day of his testimony while undercover. Beatrice, Wilde, Hopps and McHorn had already testified, and it was the mustela's testimony that would tie them all together. So many delaying tactics by the defense, so much wasted time from all the proceedings, and it centered on the young officer's testimony...or at least it did.

Sheri sighed and held her arms open to the Weasel. When he didn't budge she waved for him, "Come here."

The mustela moved to stand, softly groaning as he straightened up. The officer sat on the bed next to the raccoon and leaned into her open arms. Reggie closed his eyes and relished the feeling of the female's and his fur touching. This aspect of their relationship was still new to the male, and there were times Reggie would grow anxious at the thought of these moments ending. It wasn't rational, and the Weasel was aware of that, but self doubt doesn't disappear overnight. The mustela wrapped an arm around the raccoon's waist and sighed contentedly. The moment was slightly ruined when he heard the increasingly familiar soft snoring of his sleeping girlfriend. "Uh, Sheri?"

The raccoon had fallen asleep, her head resting on top of the Weasel's. Reggie shook a bit, but that didn't seem to work. "Sher~ri," he sing songed, "Time to wake up."

Sheri's grip tightened and she mumbled "Five more minutes."

The Weasel chuckled and shook the procyon once more, "Sorry sweetener but you gotta get up."

"Sweetener?" yawned the raccoon.

Reggie grinned, "Trying out a nickname. How you like it?"

"Terrible."

The Weasel scoffed and rolled his eyes, "And cutie's better?"

Sheri giggled, hugging him close, "Much!"

"Alright, alright," grumbled the mustela, untangling from the embrace and standing, "It's time for you to get up and shower."

The barista groaned, "Can't we call out!"

Reggie sighed heavily and smiled apologetically, "Not today sadly."

Sheri grimaced, "Sorry...I know that's not fair." She pushed off the bed and finally stood. The raccoon placed a delicate kiss on Reggie's nose, "Why don't you get the coffee started and I'll jump in the shower. Ok?"

The officer nodded, "Ok."

The female ambled over to the bathroom door right of the closest and opened the door. She stretched once more with a yawn before closing the door behind her.

Reggie had watched the entire journey and enjoying the view. Never in a million years would the Weasel have guessed this is where he would have ended up. For all of his baggage, he still found someone who he adored. It was sometimes hard for the mustela to accept that it was real. That Reggie, grumpy Weasel officer of the Z.P.D., had somehow found a mammal who brightened his existence. He couldn't help but smile at how things were turning out.

His revel was broken by a yawn. Another came and the Weasel did his best to stifle it by placing a fist over his mouth. _"Coffee sounds good right now,"_ thought the mustela, _"Just hope I don't burn the beans like last time."_ The mustela heard the telltale sputter of the shower starting. "Well..." muttered Reggie as he scratched his neck, "Time to start the day."

* * *

Reggie waited patiently behind the shatter proof glass of Sahara Square Correctional Facility. He drummed his claws on the counter as the prisoner was being brought out. The Weasel was annoyed at how long he'd been waiting. The prisoner had specifically asked to speak to him, and yet the prison seemed ill-prepared for his arrival. Finally the buzz of an electric lock disengaging and a large metal door swinging open interrupted the young officer's thoughts.

A large Rhino stepped through first, scanning to confirm the area was secure. It was redundant since Reggie was the only mammal there, and he wasn't getting through three inches of plexiglas. The corrections officer moved to the side of the doorway and stood at ease. Another officer, a Caracal, ushered in the Pika prisoner. Herbert Himils didn't look much different from their last meeting, except for the bright pink jumpsuit he wore. The lapine wasn't cuffed and waved at Reggie as he approached the opposite side of the glass. The officer waited until the former accountant settled into his seat, fixing his glasses before picking up the phone on his end. Reggie followed suit.

"My, don't you look dashing!" complimented Himils, "All dressed up and ready to go!"

Reggie was in his dress uniform, the dark blue in stark contrast to the sand colored walls of the facility. The Weasel's blank expression didn't change. "What do you want Himils?"

"Want?" responded the Pika coyly, "Why would I-"

"Don't play games," the mustela deadpanned, "You want me to change my testimony."

" _Of_ _**course**_ not!" exclaimed the lapine with a shocked expression. He leaned closer to the glass with a reassuring smile, "All I want is for you to tell the truth."

Reggie's brow quirked, "Which is...?"

"That Kedi is the one who ordered you to commit those terrible crimes, not little old _me._ " Himils leaned back, sullen expression in place as he placed a delicate paw on his chest. "That I simply got caught up in his madness!"

The officer remained silent, making sure that the Pika was finished with his performance. He smirked, "Funny, that's not what Svinya said." Himils froze and Reggie tilted his muzzle up, "In fact, he said that you contacted everyone and set up everything."

"Officer, would you believe the word of a criminal?" questioned the lapine as innocently as possible.

"His word is better than yours," shot the Weasel with a hard glare, "I personally know what you're capable of."

"Oh come now, I never laid a claw on you. Somehow you're confusing me with Mr. Skaal."

"I forgot how independent Skaal is," replied Reggie sardonically, "Like he _**never**_ listens to orders from the mammals above him." The Weasel sighed and ran a paw over the top of his head, "Why'd I even agree to this?"

"I know why," started the Pika with a sly grin, "It's because you _**loved**_ what you did. Every second of it." Himils leaned closer to the glass, dropping his voice so low the Weasel could barely hear it, "You were _**born**_ to be Xander Claws. When others floundered, you flourished. When things went wrong, you knew the way out. I believe that there is no trick you don't know, no scheme that you couldn't perform, and no _**crime**_ you couldn't commit if you put your mind to it!" The lapine laughed, his free paw covering his snout, "Kedi never did use you correctly, only saw you as muscle and not the right paw mammal you are. In some way it was a blessing that you're a cop, if not you would have stolen the entire operation right under his paws! It's a shame you have a weakness for the opposite sex. A pity really, you could have been _**Great**_."

Reggie remained silent, unsure how to respond to the Pika. His first instinct was to deny everything Himils said, but a part of him agreed with the criminal. The Weasel loathed admitting it, but there were times when being "Xander" was better than being Reggie. Reggie could never take over a prostitution ring, but Xander could and did. He could never beat mammals senseless over owed debts or past due promises, but that was Xander's bread and butter. Rob a jewelry store, escape from the cops, and even torturing someone that was all in Xander's wheelhouse. In some way or another they made Reggie feel alive. Adrenaline pumping through his veins as he outmaneuvered or outsmarted his prey was an unbelievable rush as he stalked mammals alone.

The final thought gave the Weasel pause. He had been alone. Sure he had eventually developed a friendship with the girls, but that didn't have to happen. The cop could have kept them at arms length away and not helping them. He regretted even thinking of not helping. There were long, lonely nights where his only company was anxiety and fear. If not for Cherry, Saffron and Jezebel, Reggie would have gone insane. The loneliness, fear and nightmares that he suffered during that time weren't worth the price for Xander.

"I didn't realize how much I've rose tinted..." murmured Reggie.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Please _do_ beg," the Weasel snidely remarked, "Just like Mister Harrington, or Miss Leaps, how about Mister Chevel?" The mustela leaned forward and sneered, "You're right Himils, there's a part of me that enjoyed what I did..." He leaned back into his chair, his expression blank, "...but there's a bigger part of me that despises everything I did." Reggie's mouth twitched, the growing need to bare his teeth almost breaking his mask. "I'll live with what I did, what I let you do, for the rest of my life...but it'll be the only reminder I need to never turn back into the monster I was."

" _Truly_ a pity," replied the Pika coolly, "that someone with your talents will never reach your full potential."

"So long as you remain behind bars, I can live with unfulfilled potential."

"What a waste," remarked Himils, a look of disgust on his face, "You and the time I've squandered today."

"Well then, let me head out and I'll see you at trial!" The young officer smirked, "Remember to dress appropriately." Reggie moved to hang up the phone when heard the lapine protest.

"Wait officer!"

The Weasel's brow quirked, curious what Himils was about to say, and raised the phone back to his ear.

"Be careful of your surroundings _**Officer Weaselton**_ , you never know what...or who...may be lurking around every corner." The Pika grinned sadistically and hung up the phone, turning his back from the glass and being escorted once more by the guards.

Reggie frowned, phone still in paw, as watched the lapine disappear through the same doorway. He tersely hung up the phone. "See you soon," muttered the officer.

* * *

The young officer had laid his head on the bar of O'Hare's, paw resting on the glass handle of half a mug of beer. His uniform was opened revealing his undershirt. Reggie felt defeated, beaten by Wezaill in the courtroom. The lawyer had played the officer like a fool, to the point that the younger Weasel wouldn't be surprised if some of the jury believed it was all Reggie's idea! The mustela groaned and knocked his head against the bar. "What is wrong with me?"

"For starters you look like you went through a dryer," Wilde stated sarcastically, "after that it looks likes you're drinking something cheap." The Fox sat on the stool next to his partner with a tired sigh, "Days like today you drink something a bit higher brow." The vulpine raised a digit, "Bartender! A glass of Heferkin and glass of water."

"I didn't know you drank?"

The older officer smirked, "I don't." He pushed the drink as soon as it arrived to the empty stool next to him and kept the water. He tapped the glass rhythmically, gaze forward and unfocused. "Natty jammed you up," muttered the vulpine, "he's one of the best for it. You'll get another shot at him again." Wilde chuckled and brought the water to his lips, "That 'genetically prone to violence' bit was brazen to say the least, and any other officer wouldn't have connected with."

"My past drags me down..." Reggie said sullenly.

"Nah, makes you strong. Makes me stronger, even makes Carrots stronger too."

"What makes me stronger?" Hopps said, her brow raised quizically.

"The past," offered Wilde, "but of course **_yours_** doesn't come back to haunt you!"

"Har har Nick. The press conference was pretty much thrown at poor Reggie today, and that doesn't include the personal biases that I've had to fight against." The doe sighed heavily, "I don't think anyone is every _truly_ free of their past..."

"Amen to that!" exclaimed the Fox.

"I'll drink to it," added the Weasel wearily.

"...but we shouldn't let that stop us." rebuked the Rabbit, "And I'm a little disappointed in both of you for agreeing with me."

Reggie glanced past the tod towards the doe, "So what should we do? My past mistakes just got rammed back down my throat." He closed his eyes and ran a paw over them, "If Himils gets out because of me..."

"Reggie, he won't." stated Hopps matter-of-fact, her gaze confident.

"But-"

"He...won't..." pressed Hopps. Her nose twitched and the mustela caught a whiff of sadness from the doe. "If he gets off...it'll be my fault!"

"Fluff, no-"

"Stop Nick!" she commanded, paw raised and chest out, "If Himils gets off, it'll be because I jumped the gun trying to get a confession." The detective's voice wavered, and she blew out a heavy breath, but no tears formed.

"Well Carrots," drawled Wilde, "I was there too, playing my part in that confession debacle. If you're to blame, so am I." The Fox looked down at his drink, swirling the liquid as the ice cubes clinked off the sides, "I wouldn't worry too much about tiny him getting off anyway. Natty played his part perfectly, but even the best defense is no match for such overwhelming evidence."

"You keep calling him Natty," remarked the Weasel, who cast a wary eye to his partner, "Is there something between you two?"

"Just a thin blue line," joked Wilde with a wry grin, "Oh and several years of working for the same mammal."

"Who?" questioned Reggie.

"You never told me about this." stated Hopps.

The Fox shrugged, "It was during those awkward years between eleven and right before I turned eighteen." He rolled a free paw in the air, "I wasn't even really hustling...well not **_really_**."

"Who!"

The grey doe studied the tod with a furrowed brow, "Define 'not really.'"

The vulpine smiled with half lidded eyes and spoke just above a whisper, "Wouldn't you like to know!"

"Yes I would," replied Hopps plainly. She poked the Fox on the nose with a blunt claw, "And you will tell me **_Mister_** Wilde."

"Well what are you gonna do...detective?"

The Rabbit leaned closer to the Fox, a paw walking up his thigh, "I might have to-"

"Oh rutt off both of you," hissed Reggie, "If you're gonna get pawsy, do it wherever you two normally do, just not next to me!"

"You can go away too," remarked Wilde with a glance over his shoulder.

"Nope! I was here first, so you two can scram."

"Alright Reggie, I get your point," conceded Hopps, "Intimiate displays in public are a no go."

"I don't care about that," grumbled the Weasel, "Just do it away from me...like over there!" He pointed to an empty corner booth, "Go be a cliché over there."

"Yes I forgot about the Fox/bunny couple cliché that exists," Wilde snarked, "Once again I'm living a stereotype!"

"That's nothing to be proud of Nick," chided Hopps, "more importantly, I believe revealing our relationship now may steal some of Grizzoli's thunder."

Reggie sighed and looked up. Hanging above the bar was a large banner that read "Congrats Sergeant Grizzoli." Officers not on duty were milling about, some still in uniform and others in civilian attire. Everyone had a drink in the paw, though not all were alcoholic, and were enjoying the party before the party. Word had just come down that the Polar Bear had been nominated for, and accepted, an open position at Precinct Six. The arctic ursine had disappeared for some time because in celebration of the big news, him and his family went of vacation. The move was obvious to everyone as Grizzoli lived in Tundra Town, but that didn't make it any easier. "When's he supposed to be here?"

"Any minute now," Hopps said, "Olivia and the kits should arrive not too much later."

"Gotta give it to Spots," started Wilde, "he sure can organize shindigs."

"What **_can't_** Clawhauser do?" remarked Reggie.

"Run the fifty meter dash in under an hour!" the Fix quipped.

"That's not nice Nick," scolded Hopps.

"Pass on the final donut?" offered the Weasel.

"Reggie!"

"Sorry Hopps had to say it," Reggie defended. He sighed a brought his still cool beer to his mouth, "I never thought things would change..."

"The more things change, the more they stay the same," the vulpine replied sagely.

"Change is good, necessary even." said the Rabbit, "Think back to earlier this year. All three of us were different mammals than who we are today!"

"Is it for the better?" questioned Reggie as he stared into his drink. A large paw slapped him on the back, and he glanced to see Wilde patting him.

"You know the answer cue. Because if it wasn"t, we wouldn't be here."

The Weasel sighed, but nodded, "You're right Wilde..." he smirked and raised a brow, "...for once!"

"Alright Q-Tip, I'll have you kno-"

"He's coming! shouted Snarlov from the other side of the bar, "Quiet everyone!" The lights lowered and the smallest mammals ducked underneath the bar.

"We could have hidden in our seats," the Fox whispered, "It would have been easy enough."

"Your red stands out like a beacon." the mustela whispered loudly, "He would have known something was up once he saw you!"

"Quiet both of you!" Hopps commanded with a hiss, her ears pointed towards the entrance, "I can hear them coming...Alright on three. One..."

"Two..." continued Wilde.

"Three!" finished Reggie. The door opened and the lights flicked on.

* * *

 **Hello Readers,**

 **This is the final chapter of A Weasel's Watch. I'll admit I could have probably dragged this story on for any number of chapters, but didn't feel that was necessary. The growth I wanted for Reggie I felt like I achieved or at least started. This won't be the last you hear from our mustela friend as I already have another story in the works. That one is entitled "A Wolf's Song," and will follow Ralph Wolford. I'll admit it doesn't touch the grey areas that I feel this story delved into a times, but deals more with the rigidness of the situation individuals can be born into. If you have any questions about the story, please feel free to PM me. As always, criticism always welcome and I hope you enjoyed my story!**

 **-CG**


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